NYPD Used Robot Dogs for Surveillance in NYC, Terminated After Backlash
The New York Police Department (NYPD) used Digidog, a robotic dog from Boston Dynamics, to assist in crime scene assessments and emergencies in low-income communities of color in New York City from 2020 to April 2021. Activists and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez raised privacy and civil rights concerns, arguing that the technology could lead to bias and surveillance. Following public backlash, the NYPD terminated its contract and returned the robot dog to Boston Dynamics.
- Date it happened
- 2020-01-01
- Organisation involved
- New York Police Department
- Product, system or model
- Digidog
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