Atlas of Surveillance

Atlas of Surveillance. It is a collaborative, data-driven research project and public database that maps the use of surveillance technologies by law enforcement agencies across the United States. Launched in 2019 by the Electronic Frontier Foundation in partnership with the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, the project systematically collects and visualizes evidence of technologies like automated license plate readers, facial recognition, body-worn cameras, predictive policing software, and drones. The initiative aims to create transparency and public accountability by providing journalists, researchers, and advocates with a comprehensive, searchable resource detailing the proliferation of police surveillance.

Overview

The project was conceived by EFF investigative researcher Dave Maass and developed with students and faculty from the Reynolds School of Journalism. It operates as a citizen science effort, leveraging public records requests, crowdsourced data collection, and investigative reporting to build its dataset. The core mission is to counteract the often opaque adoption of surveillance tools by police departments, sheriff's offices, and other law enforcement entities, from major agencies like the Los Angeles Police Department and New York Police Department to smaller county offices. By centralizing this information, the project sheds light on trends such as the integration of artificial intelligence into policing and the formation of surveillance networks between jurisdictions.

Methodology

Researchers employ a multi-faceted methodology combining traditional FOIA requests and state public records acts with digital tools and crowdsourcing. A significant component is a partnership with the The Markup for data scraping and analysis, while volunteer contributions are coordinated through platforms like Wikipedia-style edit-a-thons. Each data point, such as a police department's use of ShotSpotter gunfire detection or Palantir data analytics, requires verification through primary sources like government contracts, agency budgets, or official press releases. This rigorous process ensures the database maintains a high standard of evidence, distinguishing it from anecdotal or unverified reports of surveillance deployment.

Data and coverage

The database encompasses thousands of data points on over 11,000 law enforcement agencies, covering all 50 states and Washington, D.C.. It tracks more than 20 distinct technology categories, including cell-site simulators like those from Harris Corporation, ALPR networks from Vigilant Solutions, and real-time crime centers in cities like Chicago and New Orleans. The interface features an interactive map and searchable tables, allowing users to explore surveillance use by location, agency, or technology type. This granular view reveals patterns, such as the widespread adoption of Ring doorbell camera partnerships or the testing of police robots by the San Francisco Police Department.

Impact and reception

The project has been cited extensively by major news organizations including The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Associated Press in reports on police surveillance. It has empowered local journalists from Kansas City to Honolulu to report on specific technologies used in their communities, influencing public debates and policy. The data has been used by advocacy groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and Brennan Center for Justice in campaigns for surveillance oversight ordinances. In 2020, the project was a finalist for an Online Journalism Award, recognizing its innovation in data journalism and its contribution to public knowledge on a critical civil liberties issue.

Related projects and context

The initiative exists within a broader ecosystem of groups monitoring surveillance and policing. These include the ACLU's community control over police surveillance (CCOPS) advocacy, the Georgetown Center on Privacy & Technology's work on facial recognition, and the Lucy Parsons Labs' Chicago police data project. Internationally, projects like Tactical Tech's Exposing the Invisible and Privacy International's research provide similar scrutiny. The project's data also complements academic work from institutions like the MIT Media Lab and legal analyses concerning the Fourth Amendment, situating its findings within ongoing global debates about technology, privacy, and state power.