Police department transparency in the use of surveillance technology.

The Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act was enacted by the City Council in 2020 and requires the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to evaluate and report on surveillance technologies used by the Department. This legislation would clarify language in existing law to ensure increased transparency in NYPD’s required “Impact and Use Policies” (IUPs), specifically requiring: (1) that NYPD publishes IUPs for each distinct surveillance technology used by the Department; (2) that such IUPs fully identify each external entity by name that receives data gathered from such technology; (3) that such IUPs report on specific safeguards in place to prevent unauthorized dissemination of surveillance data; and (4) that such IUPs disclose evaluation of potential disparate impacts on protected groups arising from the NYPD’s use of such technologies. Additionally, NYPD would be required to develop policies regarding the circumstances under which any local, state, or federal government agency has access to data collected by the department using surveillance technology; and develop an internal tracking system to monitor instances where external entities are provided access to data gathered by surveillance technologeis.