Report: Selling Surveillance - Fact vs. Ad Fiction

Photo @ PEXELS

“Selling Surveillance: Fact vs. Ad Fiction,” by Eleni Manis and other experts, is a groundbreaking report that reveals the troubling marketing practices of surveillance technology companies and highlights their severe implications.

Key Findings

• Surveillance companies make unverified claims, and some violate federal and state consumer protection laws. Still, many continue marketing their cameras and products with impunity, even if regulators are starting to take action against some offenders.

• Independent case studies reveal that such surveillance tools fail to deliver the promised results, raising concerns about their equity, effectiveness, and accuracy. 

• Law enforcement agencies invest heavily in surveillance technologies without independent verifications of advertised features.

Questionable Marketing Practices Examples

An automated license plate reader company, Flock, claims to solve 10% of US crimes.  The company also argues that its license plate readers effectively reduce crimes, such as a 70% drop in burglary cases in San Marino, California. 

The report discovered the opposite, with burglaries increasing after the company’s systems were installed. 

Then, two other companies, Evolv Technologies and ZeroEyes, are scrutinized for misleading claims on accuracy and speed. For instance, Evolv’s AI-powered weapon detectors misidentify items like umbrellas as weapons, causing safety risks and unnecessary delays.

You Might Also Be Interested: Federal lawsuit questions Flock camera legality

The Need for Stronger Oversight

The authors call for evidence-based marketing and advertising practices, transparency, and independent validation of the effectiveness and accuracy of these surveillance tools. 

The report also urges stronger oversight of surveillance technologies to ensure public funds are not wasted. Finally, it’s a wake-up call for policymakers, consumers, and communities to demand accountability and truth in the surveillance industry.