It’s no secret that publicly criticizing Madison Square Garden Entertainment CEO James Dolan can land you on the list. Now, a leaked document reveals that the company compiled a document detailing activists who oppose facial surveillance on its sites — and packed those files with a surprising amount of their personal information.
The alleged document, titled “Facial Recognition Activists.docx,” was made public after a group of hackers published a 45GB cache of data it stole from MSG in early June, which leaked 26 million customer records, including contact information and biometric or facial recognition data.
The news follows an extensive Wire investigation from April that found New York Knicks owner Dolan was using an extensive network of biometric checks far beyond MSG’s venues, including Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theatre. The company says it uses facial scanning technology to detect potential security threats, but its biometric screening processes have drawn heavy criticism.
Activists, human rights groups and government officials have long warned that the deployment of facial recognition entertainment venues, toilets again public roads it releases the names of individuals. By harvesting and storing large amounts of sensitive data, these systems create digital paper trails that are highly vulnerable to security breaches.
In fact, MSG is now facing three counts of grand larceny, according to the New York Times. The suits allege the company failed to adequately protect sensitive data and seek damages for the breach and the risk of data theft and harm to privacy.
A representative for MSG Entertainment did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Targeting activists
According to a report by 404 Media, which downloaded and reviewed the leaked data from the hack, critics said the facial recognition tracker contained the private information of the three activists, including their origins, contact information, social media posts and follower counts.
The people in this document are prominent representatives of digital rights and privacy groups: Adam Schwartz, director of privacy affairs at the Electronic Frontier Foundation; Albert Fox Cahn, founder of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, or STOP; and Evan Greer, director of Fight for the Future.
“Sadly, data breaches are an all-too-common feature of modern life, which is one reason companies like Madison Square Garden should not harvest and collect personal information about their customers,” Schwartz said in an email to CNET. “Biometric surveillance such as facial recognition is very dangerous, because we cannot change our faces and show them wherever we go.”
Fight for the Future’s official statement said MSG cannot protect the information it collects. “Big corporations can and will use surveillance technology to punish critics, exploit workers and consolidate power, ignoring the basic rights they trample on,” Greer wrote.
In a press conference about the incident, STOP Executive Director Michelle Dahl said it is not surprising that MSG has an organization on the blacklist.
“The company continues to repeat its vigilance practices, and we are backing down,” he said in a statement. “No one should be prosecuted or ostracized for exercising their right to free speech.”
Regression of face recognition
Facial recognition cameras have been installed at MSG Entertainment’s New York City locations since 2018. During that time, many imaginary enemies were added to the watch list and removed from MSG-owned properties.
Lawyers involved in lawsuits against the company have been placed on “excluded lists” and are often removed from ticketed events, according to multiple reports.
The trend came after a personal injury attorney who directed his daughter’s Girl Scout troop was removed from a Radio City Music Hall Rockettes show in November 2022. Another attorney revealed that he was removed from the Madison Square Garden arena during a New York Rangers hockey game for the same reason.
At the time, Dolan compared his policy to the movie The Godfather. “If you sue us, we will tell you not to come,” he said.
Recent reports also reveal that the CEO of MSG Entertainment, John Eversole, conducted a surveillance campaign against a woman who visited the company’s premises, and who was a security guard of MSG, suspecting that this was done because of her identity.
The woman was eventually arrested after allegations of hiding. Eversole reportedly wanted to keep him “away from the players.”
Dahl argued that the release of this paper is one of many reasons that the New York City Council should enact legislation to “prohibit biometric surveillance in arenas and other public places of residence.”
Daily supervision
MSG Entertainment is one example of the broader domestic expansion of privacy-destructive surveillance in the US, including Big Tech’s use of targeted ads. based on your internet activity again algorithms that track your mobile’s GPS location data.
Similar to opposing facial recognition technology in entertainment venues, communities across the country have been pushing back against the proliferation of License plate cameras are powered by AI installed without public input or consent. In some cases, opponents have come together to remove the cameras without working. The open source map now tracks Flock cameras across the country.
The controversy underscores concerns about private companies aggressively harvesting biometric data. And because these systems are now integrated with law enforcement networks, including federal and immigration agencies, concerns about who controls our personal information continue to grow.
Even if you reduce your use of personal technology, you can still be monitored and cataloged by a passerby wearing smart glasses.
