Those attending outdoor parties or barbecues in New York City this weekend may find an uninvited guest looming over their festivities: a police drone.

New York police will use drones to monitor backyard parties this weekend, spurring privacy concerns::Those attending outdoor parties or barbecues in New York City this weekend may find an uninvited guest looming over their festivities: a police drone.

  • wagoner@infosec.pubEnglish
    60·
    1 year ago

    I’ve read the article and still have no idea what supposed issue is going on in private backyards that the NYPD needs to see.

    • harpuajim@lemmy.mlEnglish
      23·
      1 year ago

      It’s not the regular labor day BBQs they’re interested in. It’s being deployed specifically to monitor parties and parades connected to J’Ouvert and the West Indian Day parade. Every year there’s a spike in violent crime related to these events and they’re trying something new to hopefully keep things more peaceful.

      These events are mostly attended by people of color so I doubt the NYPD is going to say they’re specifically targeting these gatherings but they are.

  • Monkstrosity@lemm.eeEnglish
    18·
    1 year ago

    If they’re allowed to fly over my property to stalk my parties then I’m allowed to follow the drone back home with my own and do the same to them >:( See how the cops like their own BBQs monitored

  • Jimbabwe@lemmy.mlEnglish
    171·
    1 year ago

    As a Texan, I rarely have good things to say about Texas these days, so I’ll take the opportunity to say that this shit would literally not fly around here. It would be a great way to chew through your drone budget in record time, anyway.

  • Jumper775@lemmy.worldEnglish
    134·
    1 year ago

    I thought that’s what the birds where for. These drones must be to throw us off because we were getting to close to the truth. Spread the word “BIRDS ARENT REAL”

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    8·
    1 year ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    The New York City police department plans to pilot the unmanned aircrafts in response to complaints about large gatherings, including private events, over Labor Day weekend, officials announced Thursday.

    The plan drew immediate backlash from privacy and civil liberties advocates, raising questions about whether such drone use violated existing laws for police surveillance

    “It’s a troubling announcement and it flies in the face of the POST Act,” said Daniel Schwarz, a privacy and technology strategist at the New York Civil Liberties Union, referring to a 2020 city law that requires the NYPD to disclose its surveillance tactics.

    The move was announced during a security briefing focused on J’ouvert, an annual Caribbean festival marking the end of slavery that brings thousands of revelers and a heavy police presence to the streets of Brooklyn.

    But as the technology proliferates, privacy advocates say regulations have not kept up, opening the door to intrusive surveillance that would be illegal if conducted by a human police officer.

    Cahn, the privacy advocate, said city officials should be more transparent with the public about how police are currently using drones, with clear guardrails that prevent surveillance overreach in the future.

    The original article contains 578 words, the summary contains 193 words. Saved 67%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!