A New York couple, Pamela Wridt and Robert Sauve, are suing the city over a NYPD camera that points directly into their bedroom. The camera is just one of tens of thousands owned and operated by the NYPD to feed into its massive warrantless surveillance system.
The Domain Awareness System, as it's called, collects data from public and private sources across the city, including video cameras, tracking technologies, biometric tools, and social media activity. It builds profiles that reconstruct people's private lives, essentially creating a "voyeuristic policing platform" that unifies multiple technologies into one centralized network.
This system has become a model for other state and local police departments, with bipartisan support and unprecedented amounts of funding, attorneys say. The NYPD's surveillance capacity is so vast it can "uncover constitutionally protected activity," such as political expression or religious practice, that would be unknowable from any single source.
Wridt and Sauve claim the camera outside their home has changed the character of their neighborhood, negatively affecting their mental health and well-being. They've had to mirror tint all their windows and can't even open them without being exposed.
The couple's lawsuit is the first of its kind to take on the NYPD surveillance system. Their attorneys hope it will shed light on other private companies and federal agencies that have access to data collected by the NYPD.
"This is not hyperbole," said O. Andrew F. Wilson, an attorney representing Sauve and Wridt. "We're seeing a full-on authoritarian takeover of our government."
The couple fears that lack of public knowledge about the Domain Awareness System breeds complacency, giving authorities space to entrench it.
"It's like my greatest concern and my greatest fear was confirmed," Sauve said. "People are getting more comfortable with this surveillance state being there."
The Domain Awareness System, as it's called, collects data from public and private sources across the city, including video cameras, tracking technologies, biometric tools, and social media activity. It builds profiles that reconstruct people's private lives, essentially creating a "voyeuristic policing platform" that unifies multiple technologies into one centralized network.
This system has become a model for other state and local police departments, with bipartisan support and unprecedented amounts of funding, attorneys say. The NYPD's surveillance capacity is so vast it can "uncover constitutionally protected activity," such as political expression or religious practice, that would be unknowable from any single source.
Wridt and Sauve claim the camera outside their home has changed the character of their neighborhood, negatively affecting their mental health and well-being. They've had to mirror tint all their windows and can't even open them without being exposed.
The couple's lawsuit is the first of its kind to take on the NYPD surveillance system. Their attorneys hope it will shed light on other private companies and federal agencies that have access to data collected by the NYPD.
"This is not hyperbole," said O. Andrew F. Wilson, an attorney representing Sauve and Wridt. "We're seeing a full-on authoritarian takeover of our government."
The couple fears that lack of public knowledge about the Domain Awareness System breeds complacency, giving authorities space to entrench it.
"It's like my greatest concern and my greatest fear was confirmed," Sauve said. "People are getting more comfortable with this surveillance state being there."
, but I think it's actually a huge opportunity for change 
! This lawsuit could be the wake-up call we need to make sure our government is transparent about its surveillance systems. Can you imagine if every citizen knew how much data their city was collecting on them? It's like, what are they going to do with all that info? 
! Maybe we can use this as a chance to create some new laws that protect people's rights and make sure surveillance is used responsibly. I mean, who doesn't want to live in a world where they know their government isn't secretly watching them all the time? 
It's like, let's be safe but also free! 
a couple in NY is literally suing the NYPD for putting a camera outside their house that's been spying on them 24/7! 
it's like they're saying "hey, we know you're watching us and we don't like it" 
that's just crazy talk 
but instead the gov just keeps rolling out more surveillance tech like it's no big deal 
i guess when you have that kinda power, you start to think it's okay to abuse it 
. I don't think I could ever feel safe living in a city where my every move is being watched like this.
. It means that more and more people are going to be affected by this kind of surveillance, and it's not just about individual rights - it's about the freedom we have as a society to live our lives without being constantly monitored.
. We need to start talking about what it means for us as individuals and as citizens when our government is collecting all this data on us. This is literally the future of surveillance we're creating 
.
The fact that it's been modeled after by other departments and funded to the hilt just shows how far we've fallen as a society 
. And those poor couple's windows are like a makeshift blackout treatment for their bedroom... 
And the fact that it's being used for "voyeuristic policing" is just wrong. It sounds like they're trying to spy on people without their consent.
It's like living in a total surveillance state. The fact that the couple has to mirror tint all their windows and can't even open them without being exposed is just crazy! 
It's kinda scary how easily authorities can get away with this kind of thing.
The couple's lawsuit might just be the start of something big. Fingers crossed they win and bring some transparency to this whole situation 
. And on top of that, it's like they're saying we have no right to privacy anymore? 
.
. They're still using ancient technology to monitor pollution and it's not even keeping up with the latest research. Meanwhile, the Domain Awareness System here is already collecting so much data on us, I mean, what's a little air quality when you can be tracked everywhere? 
The thought of people getting complacent about surveillance just keeps me up at night... 
this system sounds like a bad sci-fi movie 
& i dont think its cool that other cities are copyin it 
. i mean, what's next? will they be monitoring our phone calls and emails too? 
the fact that people are just getting more comfortable with it is just disturbing...it's like, aren't we supposed to have some level of privacy here? shouldn't that even be a fundamental human right? 
. I mean, I get that safety is a big deal, but do we really need to be watching everyone all the time? 
It's like they're trying to create some kind of Big Brother scenario 
. And the fact that it's building these profiles of people's private lives is just chilling 
. And I feel bad for them – it's like, hello, your private life matters! 
. And what really gets me is that this system is so vast, it can monitor private lives without us even realizing it. I just hope we're not trading our freedom for the sake of security 
.