Some viewers members leaving a live performance by Drake at a Manhattan theater got here exterior to see a New York Police Division officer filming these submitting out, elevating considerations from privateness advocates over what can be accomplished with the footage.
The NYPD mentioned Monday the video would solely be used for a social media publish, however there have been nonetheless requires the fabric to be deleted.
New York Occasions music author Jon Caramanica tweeted Saturday evening that the NYPD was filming folks leaving the present on the Apollo Theater. He included a video exhibiting an officer seemingly recording these popping out:
In a press release, the division mentioned the officer was a part of the social media workforce for the native precinct and was getting video for a social media publish about native occasions.
"The video is not going to be utilized for some other cause," the division mentioned.
However the Surveillance Expertise Oversight Mission, a New York Metropolis-based group that focuses on privateness and civil rights, known as the videotaping "extremely regarding" since attendees have been being surveilled with out their consent. It demanded that the video be destroyed and that the NYPD reveal "if it had been used for facial recognition."
The group additionally repeated that it needs state and metropolis bans on police facial recognition software program and facial recognition software program usually at sporting occasions, concert events, and different public occasions.