FC: Did Super Bowl cameras used by police violate the law?

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

[The Washington Post article on this 
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9757-2001Jan31.html) dismissed 
the Fourth Amendment problems a little too glibly, I think. --Declan]

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> Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 11:44:50 -0500
> To: declan () well com
> From: Marc Rotenberg <rotenberg () epic org>
> Subject: Re: FC: Cameras at Super Bowl scanned faces looking for criminals
>
> I think there is a reasonably good argument that this
> was an unconstitutional search. Keep in mind that this
> involved a (1) search by means of an enhanced sensory
> device that (2) identified known people (3) that was
> operated by law enforcement (4) without a warrant,
> probable cause or exigent circumstances. The ACLU really
> should file.
>
> Marc.

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> Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2001 12:53:17 -0500
> To: emmanuel Goldstein <emmanuel () 2600 COM>
> From: e cummings <bernies () netaxs com>
> Subject: facial recognition software used by authorities at super bowl
> Cc: Lazlow <lazlow () lazlow com>
>
> i've heard the secret service uses this in some crowd situations to spot 
> people on their list.  no doubt it will be used more frequently in the 
> future, with cameras all over being networked to alert law-enforcement 
> whenever anybody they're looking for happens to be within camera range...

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> From: terry.s () juno com
> To: declan () well com
> Cc: politech () politechbot com, trigaux () sptimes com, info () viisage com,
>         wk () c4i org, rotenberg () epic org
> Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 13:52:11 -0500
> Subject: Re: FC: Cameras at Super Bowl scanned faces looking for criminals
> X-Mailer: Juno 4.0.11
>
> In doing some research for an electronic design project, it struck me
> that the technology now exists in electronic smart cards (see
> www.atmel.com and review 89SCxxxx and 90SCxxxx ASIC's, and RF interface
> cards, or their European competitors) to implant a chip inside an almost
> mandatory card, like a driver's license, or in a store shopping card,
> such that the presence or passage of an individual through a portal could
> be monitored without that individual realizing he was being tracked.
> This would be similar to what's done with "pay at the pump" cards or toll
> electronic speed passes, but could be hidden from view and tracked
> without the card bearer realizing that his wallet could be inspected
> without ever leaving his pocket.
>
> How many and which states are complying with Federal "carrot and stick"
> coercion to include Social inSecurity numbers on state driver's licenses,
> but coding them in non-visible manners so as to not scare license holders
> into thinking they're being tracked by arguably illegal use of such
> SSN's?
>
> We're not approaching 1984.  We're past it.
>
>
> Terry

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