BUT
OVER HERE IN
AFRICA THE
RECORD. MY NAME IS HENRY SANTANA AND LARGE CITY COUNCILOR. I AM THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
TODAY IS AUGUST 19 AND IT IS 4:05 P.M. IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF THE 2025 MORTIFYING STORY REQUIRED BY THE OPEN MEETING LAW AND RELIEVING BODIES OF CERTAIN
REQUIREMENTS INCLUDING THE REQUIREMENT THAT PUBLIC BODIES CONDUCT ITS MEETINGS IN A PUBLIC PLACE THAT IS OPEN AND PHYSICALLY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE CONDUCTING THIS HEARING
VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM. THIS HEARING IS BEING AS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED. VOLKSWAGEN'S LARGE CITY COUNCIL DIGITALLY AND BROADCASTED ON INSPIRATIONAL
EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FOLLOWS CHANNEL NINE SIX FORD. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE AND EMAIL AT THE PRESS BOX SINGLE AND WILL BE
MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY.
IF YOU WISH TO SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND HAVE NOT DONE SO PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON. MEGHAN MEGHAN KO RIVER BOSTON
BOSTON.COM FOR THE ZOOM LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST AND JUST THE SPELLING FOR THAT IS MEGHAN E A G A AND
C OR ARE YOU G E D ALL AT ONCE AND NOT GO? TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET NUMBER 1356 AND DOCKET NUMBER
1357 MESSAGES AND ORDERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORDINANCE ON SURVEILLANCE OVERSIGHT AND INFORMATION SHARING. WHAT'S IN THE CITY CODE SECTION 1663 THE ORDINANCE THIS MATTER
WAS SPONSORED BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON JULY SEVEN, 2025. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL
. WITH US TODAY WE HAVE COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE AND COUNCILOR BRAINARD. OUR WOLF I WILL GIVE MY
COLLEAGUES AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK YOU FOR YOUR OPENING STATEMENTS AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR PANEL. SO COUNCIL PRESIDENT THE AGENDA
OF THE FLOOR. I THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I'LL JUST SAY A FEW WORDS WE HAD. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
CHAIRING THE FIRST HEARING ON THE FLOOR LAST WEEK WHERE THE COUNCIL WAS ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND IT THAT WE HAD A HEARING BEFORE THAT ON SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY GENERALLY.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN SHEPHERDING US THROUGH. DEFINITELY WANT TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY. I THINK YOU KNOW, WE HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE IN CITY HALL TODAY WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT JUST THE YOU KNOW, THIS
ADMINISTRATION ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND THEIR VIOLATION OF SO MANY OF OUR RIGHTS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE ARE WORKING ON USING NEW
TECHNOLOGIES HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON THAT WE ARE DOING SO WHILE RESPECTING PEOPLE'S RIGHTS OF CIVIL LIBERTIES. I ALSO THINK HE WAS A CHAIR AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEAR SOME
FIGURE COUNCIL PRESIDENT BEFORE WE GET TO TURN TO OUR NEXT COLLEAGUES. FEDERAL STAFF I BELIEVE COUNCILOR FLYNN IS TRYING TO GET INTO THE HEARING AND IS TRYING TO GET IN. SO IF WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT
QUICK WE WILL ALSO BE ENJOINED BY COUNCILOR WEBER WELL BEFORE HE GAVE HIS OPENING STATEMENT I'LL GIVE COUNCILOR BERATED AND THE OPPORTUNITY
COUNCIL BRINGING UP THE FLOOR. THANK YOU MR CHAIR AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION THIS AFTERNOON. I WILL HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS AT THIS TIME JUST I HAVE TO I HAVE SOME TIME
CONSTRAINTS SO I. I JUST LET YOU GET ON WITH IT. THANK YOU COUNCILOR BREADON. HOWSOEVER I YEAH. THANKS A LOT.
I'M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM THE PANELISTS AND THE COMMUNITY AND THANKS FOR HAVING THIS HEARING. CHAIR ALSO THINKING WE WERE DOING WHAT COUNCILOR FLYNN
CONSIDERING IF YOU WANT TO GIVE OPENING REMARKS YOU HAVE THE FLOOR YET. THANK YOU MR CHAIR. JUST JUST FOR THE RECORD I WAS HERE AT THE VERY BEGINNING AND I WAS NOT LET IN INTO THE ZOOM
AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME BUT I WAS HERE AT QUARTER OF FOUR. I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION
AND WE HAVE TO AS A CITY COUNCIL STILL FOCUS ON QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES ISSUES THAT IMPACT RESIDENTS.
THAT'S WHAT OUR CONSTITUENTS EXPECT FROM US AND WE NEED TO REFOCUS OUR COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT THESE QUALITY
OF LIFE ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED AND WE GET BACK TO THE NUTS AND NUTS AND BOLTS OF BASIC CITY SERVICES ON THE BOSTONS ON THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL.
THANK YOU, MR TRAIL. BIG ACCOUNTS WITH FLYNN AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR MURPHY COUNCILOR MURPHY FOR APPROPRIATE REMARKS AND WE'RE MOVING TO OUR PANEL.
THANK YOU, CHAIR. I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE IN THE CAR SO I'M NOT GOING TO DO AN OPENING STATEMENT AND WILL BE IN FRONT OF MY COMPUTER AS IN A FEW MINUTES. SO THANK YOU FOR LOOKING FORWARD TO LISTENING TO THE
PANEL BUT IMPORTANT TOPIC AND LIKE COUNCIL FLYNN WAS JUST SAYING WE HAVE TO REALLY FOCUS IN ON THESE ISSUES THAT THE RESIDENTS CARE ABOUT SO THANK YOU. I THINK THEY COULD GO THROUGH
THEM EVERY WITH THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ALLOW INTRODUCE TODAY'S COMMUNITY PANELISTS WITH US WE HAVE FATUMA AHMED WITH THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MUSLIM JUSTICE LEAGUE AND USHER ELDERS TECHNOLOGIST AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US HERE TODAY.
REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I KNOW WE HAD THE CONVERSATION WHEN YOU WERE LAST WEEK AND WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON YOUR PANEL TODAY AND THEN ABLE TO HEAR FROM OTHER TESTIMONY. SO I'LL TURN THE CALL OVER TO
YOU ALL AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO CALLS FOR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'LL START. I'M FATIMA AHMED. I AM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MUSLIM JUSTICE LEAGUE.
WE'RE A LOCAL ORGANIZATION AND AND YOU KNOW, MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD FROM US BEFORE ON THESE ISSUES BUT THIS IS PARTICULARLY PRESSING FOR US BECAUSE WE'RE
WE'RE ACTUALLY BEING DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND BRICS USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING OF OUR OWN ORGANIZATION WHICH I'LL SPEAK TO.
AND THEN NASR IS GOING TO SPEAK A BIT TO HOW SOME OF THESE OTHER TOOLS ARE HAVE BEEN USED AND COULD BE USED IN THE IN THE FUTURE AND EXCITED TO HAVE
SOME, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY TESTIMONY AFTER THIS. YOU KNOW, IT'S STILL HARD FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO JOIN AT THESE TIMES SO I'M SURE YOU ALL GET SOME SOME EMAILS FROM FOLKS
AS WELL. AND I CAN SAY WE'VE GOTTEN LOTS OF QUESTIONS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT THESE TOOLS AND LOTS OF CONCERN ABOUT WHAT BPD AND BRIC ARE DOING.
SO IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEILLANCE, I WANT TO BACK UP BECAUSE YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW BRIC IS ASKING WELL BRIC IT'S ALREADY STARTED USING THESE NEW TOOLS WITHOUT
ASKING PERMISSION. ACTUALLY I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THEY DID NOT FOLLOW THE TIMELINES AND THE APPROPRIATE NOTIFICATION PROCESS OF LETTING BOSTON CITY COUNCIL KNOW THAT
THEY WERE USING THESE NEW TOOLS AND CONTINUE TO USE THEM, YOU KNOW, SINCE THEN. SO THAT IS ONE JUST CONCRETE PROCESS ISSUE THAT HAS COME UP INCLUDING YOU KNOW, THE
SURVEILLANCE REPORT BEING FILED LATE. SO THEY'RE ASKING TO USE THESE TOOLS EVEN WITHOUT THESE TOOLS THEY'RE ALREADY ENGAGING IN SURVEILLANCE THROUGH OPEN
SOURCE METHODS. RIGHT. THAT MEANS THAT THEY CAN GO TO INSTAGRAM, THEY CAN GO TO TWITTER, THEY CAN LOOK UP YOU KNOW, ANYONE'S KIND OF PUBLIC
POSTS AND YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT SEEM LIKE OKAY TO YOU ALL. BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PATTERN OF WHO WHOSE SOCIAL MEDIA
THEY'RE LOOKING AT AND WHO THEY'RE REPORTING ON, YOU CAN SEE SOME CLEAR, YOU KNOW, BIAS THAT COMES OUT PARTICULARLY FOR THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY.
SO IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT HAS LOOKED LIKE OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, MANY ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD OF MASSACHUSETTS, THE ACLU AND OUR ORGANIZATION HAVE
UNCOVERED EXAMPLES OF BRIC DOING THIS AROUND SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENTS. THE FIRST EXAMPLE WAS I THINK
MAYBE AROUND 2009 OR 2010 THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ANTIWAR ORGANIZATIONS THAT BRIC WAS SURVEILLING AND LOOKING AT THAT THE NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD, AN
ACLU UNCOVERED JUST YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS LATER I THINK OCCUPY BOSTON HAPPENED AND AFTER THAT YOU KNOW, THE ANALOGY ALSO
UNCOVERED MANY, MANY PAGES OF, YOU KNOW, SURVEILLANCE OF THAT MOVEMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WAS A PARTICULAR EXAMPLE THAT CAME
OUT OF THAT WAS THAT EVEN MARTY WALSH THIS IS PRIOR TO BECOMING MAYOR. BUT YOU KNOW, HE WAS SPEAKING AT OCCUPY I THINK WITH SOME LABOR MOVEMENT FOLKS AND EVEN
HIM SPEAKING AT OCCUPY WAS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THINGS THAT BRETT REPORTED ON. SO IT'S NOT JUST THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING BUT THEY ARE PUTTING OUT SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
REPORTS OR CIT RAPS AS THEY CALL THEM ABOUT THESE MOVEMENTS AND SHARING OUT TO BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC AGENCIES AND
PARTNERS ABOUT THESE EVENTS AS IF THEY ARE OF CONCERN. THE NEXT KIND OF BIG EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT AND NASSER IS
GOING TO SPEAK A BIT TO WHAT YOU KNOW BRICK WAS USING WITH GRAFFITI WHICH PULLED IN POSTS ABOUT BLACK LIVES MATTER AGAIN INCLUDING THEN COUNSELOR TITO
JACKSON'S OWN POST ABOUT BLACK LIVES MATTER WHICH YOU KNOW, HE SEEMED PRETTY CONCERNED THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, BPD WOULD HAVE FLAGGED OR
THAT BRICK WOULD HAVE FLAGGED. BUT THROUGHOUT THAT AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PRIMARY USES OF GRAFFITI I WAS LOOKING AT MUSLIM COMMUNITY TERMS AND YOU
KNOW, WE'VE SEEN THAT MOST RECENTLY KIND OF MORE TARGETING OF OUR COMMUNITY WITH THE PALESTINE MOVEMENT. SO WE'VE GOTTEN ALREADY ABOUT
600 PAGES OF, YOU KNOW, BRICKS SURVEILLANCE OF PALESTINE RELATED EVENTS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING THAT WAS JUST WITHIN I THINK A 6 TO 8 MONTH PERIOD.
SO NOT NOT EVEN THE FULL TWO YEARS THAT THAT THE EVENTS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING SINCE 2023 THAT WAS RELEASED SINCE OCTOBER 2023 THROUGH MAY OF 2024 THAT WE
HAVE THOSE DOCUMENTS. WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU ALL SO THAT YOU CAN SEE SOME EXAMPLES OF YOU KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE BUT WOULD LIKE
TO TALK THROUGH JUST AN EXAMPLE WHERE IT'S NOT IN THOSE DOCUMENTS BUT IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT BPD OR BRICK WOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT MJ ALL OF MY OWN ORGANIZATION'S SOCIAL MEDIA
AND HOW THEY RESPONDED TO THAT VERSUS HOW THEY RESPONDED TO OTHER YOU KNOW, EVENTS. SO SOME OF YOU MIGHT REMEMBER IN OCTOBER OF 2023 CITY BOSTON
CITY COUNCIL WAS CONSIDERING A CEASE FIRE RESOLUTION ACTUALLY VERY EARLY ON IN THIS GENOCIDE AND THE VIOLENCE THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING HAPPENING IN GAZA.
MY ORGANIZATION WE JUST POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING NOT EVEN TO TESTIFY LIKE WE ARE ENCOURAGING
PEOPLE TODAY AND LIKE WE TYPICALLY DO. BUT IT WAS JUST YOU KNOW, THE WEDNESDAY CITY COUNCIL MEETING ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO ATTEND TO SEND SOME EMAILS IN SUPPORT OF THE CEASE FIRE RESOLUTION
AND PRETTY LAST MINUTE, YOU KNOW, POSTING ABOUT IT AND CLEARLY THIS SET SOMETHING OFF WITH THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH BRICK BECAUSE
WE HAD COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARRIVED EARLY AND SAW HUNDREDS OF POLICE OFFICERS AROUND CITY HALL EYEWITNESS THAT WHEN I ARRIVED THAT THERE WERE TONS OF POLICE OFFICERS AROUND
THERE. MULTIPLE PEOPLE WERE TOLD THEY COULDN'T ENTER THE BUILDING, THAT THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED THAT DAY AND EVENTUALLY WE WERE LET IN.
BUT ONCE ONCE WE WERE LET IN ALL OF THE HALLWAYS WERE CLOSED. WE WERE TOLD WE COULD NOT USE THE BATHROOM. WE CANNOT WALK AROUND THE BUILDING. IT WAS JUST EXTREMELY HIGH
SECURITY AND I KNOW I RAN INTO A CITY COUNCILOR BECAUSE MANY OF YOU KNOW ME AND THAT PERSON SHARED YOU KNOW THAT I THINK THE CITY COUNCILORS AND STAFF PROBABLY RECEIVED SOME KIND
OF EMAIL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS OF PEOPLE COMING THAT DAY THAT HAD TO HAVE HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR SOCIAL MEDIA
POST I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EXACT MECHANISM IS AND THIS IS SOMETHING I WOULD LOVE FOR ANY OF YOU TO BE ASKING THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT LIKE WHAT IS THE MECHANISM? HOW DO THEY KNOW TO BE LOOKING
AT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA IN PARTICULAR? HOW DID THAT FLAG HOW DID THAT POST GET FLAGGED FOR THEM? WHAT IS THEIR RISK ASSESSMENT THREAT ASSESSMENT OF AN ORGANIZATION LIKE OURS WHEN WE
REGULARLY ENGAGE IN CITY HALL WE'RE REGULARLY THERE YOU WE ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO TESTIFY AND TO ENGAGE WITH YOU ALL AND IT'S VERY CONCERNING
THAT THAT WAS THE RESPONSE TO US ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO TO SHOW UP THAT DAY. SO THAT'S REALLY AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT DAY TO DAY LIKE
OPEN SOURCE KIND OF SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING LOOKS LIKE RIGHT. IT'S NOT JUST THAT THEY SAW THE POST AND NOTED THAT SOMETHING MIGHT BE HAPPENING THAT DAY BUT
CLEARLY THEY DECIDED THAT A MUSLIM ORGANIZATION ENCOURAGING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT WAS A HIGH CONCERN. THERE WAS IN FACT A RALLY FROM JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS LATER THAT
DAY AT CITY HALL PLAZA THAT WAS ALSO SHARED AND WAS MORE DIRECTLY SHARED AS LIKE AN ACTION FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO AND THEY DID NOT RECEIVE THE
SAME KIND OF RESPONSE FROM FROM POLICE. WE WERE ACTUALLY PART OF THAT EVENT AS WELL AND IT WAS A REALLY STARK CONTRAST TO SEE HOW WE WERE RESPONDED TO VERSUS SOME OF OUR PARTNER
ORGANIZATIONS. SO THE THE OTHER YOU KNOW, KIND OF KEY THING HERE IS NOW BPD WANTS TO ADD MORE TOOLS TO ACTUALLY BOOST HOW THEY'RE
DOING THIS AND THEY ALREADY HAVE ONE OF THOSE TOOLS IS SITE INTELLIGENCE WHICH WAS FOUNDED AND IS LED BY RITA KATZ.
RITA KATZ IS KNOWN SELF-TITLED AS THE TERRORIST HUNTER HAS ENGAGED IN REALLY VERY CONCERNING METHODS OF INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION AND
SPYING ON OUR COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR YOU CAN READ JUST HER WIKIPEDIA PAGE AND SEE THAT SHE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO DISGUISE HERSELF AS A MUSLIM WOMAN TO
ENTER MUSLIM SPACES TO ENTER MOSQUES ARE RELIGIOUS SPACES TO SPY ON OUR COMMUNITY AND SO THIS WOMAN HAS CREATED THIS, YOU KNOW, FEED ESSENTIALLY
OF QUOTE UNQUOTE TERRORIST OR QUOTE UNQUOTE EXTREMIST CONTENT THAT YOU KNOW, HER ORGANIZATION AS PULLING AND THEN PUSHING OUT THERE TO POLICE DEPARTMENTS
THAT MAY NOT BE QUESTIONING THE KIND OF BIAS THAT IS COMING WITH THIS EVEN IN THE EARLY 2000S THE WHITE HOUSE THEMSELVES CALLED HER METHODS LIKE EAVESDROPPING AND PEOPLE
WERE QUITE CONCERNED WITH THE METHODS OF THIS PERSON AND WITH SITE WHICH HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, GOING ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME. SO IT'S EXTREMELY CONCERNING THAT THAT IS ONE OF THE TOOLS
BRICK IS ALREADY USING AND LIKELY THAT IS PART OF WHY THEY ARE RESPONDING TO MY ORGANIZATION IN THIS WAY BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING THAT DIRECT FEED FROM THEM.
THEY'RE PUTTING THAT OUT IN THE SITUATION REPORTS AS WELL. SO I'LL SEND YOU ALL EXAMPLES AFTER THIS. BUT THE SITUATION REPORTS FOR PALESTINE YOU KNOW OCTOBER 2023
FOR A FEW MONTHS AFTERWARDS THEY WERE PUTTING OUT TWICE A DAY REPORTS THAT WOULD TALK ABOUT WHAT AL QAIDA IS SAYING, WHAT AL-SHABAB IS SAYING A LOT
OF THAT I'M GUESSING IS PULLED FROM SITE AND THEN THEY WOULD LIST LOCAL EVENTS OF CONCERN INCLUDING I GOT IN MY OWN ORGANIZATION EVENTS, THINGS AS
YOU KNOW AS BASIC AS THE PALESTINE FILM FESTIVAL, INTERFAITH CEASEFIRE VIGILS, THOSE EVENTS FROM OUR PARTNERS LIKE JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE AND IFNOTNOW BOSTON SO JEWISH
ORGANIZATIONS AND FROM STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE HARVARD STUDENTS GOT GET A LOT OF ATTENTION IN THESE REPORTS AND WE NOW KNOW THE KIND
OF TARGETING THAT'S HAPPENING OF STUDENTS LIKE ROMA ASOS TURK BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THIS KIND OF SURVEILLANCE OF PALESTINIAN ACTIVISM IN PARTICULAR. AND SO IT'S REALLY CONCERNING
THAT BRICK IS ALREADY DOING THIS ALREADY HAS A LOT OF TOOLS AND ACTUALLY ENGAGING IN THIS QUITE DEEPLY AND IS NOW SEEKING, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL TOOLS TO BOOST THIS.
SO I REALLY HOPE THAT THE COUNCIL TAKES THIS SERIOUSLY GIVEN THE TARGETING THAT IS HAPPENING OF OUR COMMUNITIES, THE TARGETING THAT IS HAPPENING OF PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN SPEAKING
OUT FOR PALESTINE ESPECIALLY WHAT WE'VE SEEN WITH RAMY SO STARK AND OTHER CASES AND NOT ONLY REJECT THESE TOOLS BUT ACTUALLY ENGAGE IN QUESTIONING
OF YOU KNOW, BPD CURRENT BRICKS ,CURRENT METHODS OF YOU KNOW TARGETING SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENTS AND SURVEILLING SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENTS AND YEAH, I'LL PASS IT ON TO NASSER
TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE OTHER TOOLS. THANK YOU FATIMA AND SORRY I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU YOU
CAME OFF MUTE BUT THANK YOU FATIMA THANKS CHAIR SANTANA MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE MY NAME IS NASSER ELDERS. I'M A COMPUTER SCIENTIST. I GRADUATED FROM WENTWORTH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY RIGHT
HERE IN BOSTON AND I WAS A FORMER STAFFER AT THE SUFFOLK COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FROM 2019 TO 2021 AND THE EXECUTIVE TEAM THERE PRIOR TO THAT I WAS A RESEARCHER AT
THE ACLU OF MASSACHUSETTS AND I'M TESTIFYING HERE AS AN INDEPENDENT VOICE ONE WITH DIRECT EXPERIENCE IN BOTH THE TECHNOLOGICAL AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ASPECTS OF THE
SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEM. IN 2018 I WAS THE PERSON WHO DISCOVERED AND EXPOSED HOW THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS USING GOPRO. THAT FACT THAT I JUST MENTIONED
WE LEARNED THIS THROUGH PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS WHERE WE OBTAINED THOUSANDS OF PAGES SHOWING WHAT BPD WAS ACTUALLY DOING WITH THE SYSTEM THAT THEY SPENT ABOUT $26,000 ON.
THEY WERE MONITORING THE HASHTAG HASHTAG MUSLIM LIVES MATTER. THEY WERE TRACKING BASIC ARABIC WORDS THAT MILLIONS OF MUSLIMS ACROSS THE PLANET USE DAILY.
THEY COLLECTED A FACEBOOK POST FROM THEN CITY COUNCILOR TITO JACKSON WHO I KNEW WAS POSTING ABOUT RACIAL DISPARITIES IN BOSTON ON THANKSGIVING THEY
MONITORED OVER THREE AND A HALF THOUSAND BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS MOSTLY BLACK AND BROWN KIDS WHO HAD WALKED OUT TO PROTEST BUDGET CUTS IN MARCH
OF 2016 DURING THE 16 MONTHS THAT THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD USED. DO YOU FIGURE THEY COLLECTED ABOUT 1900 SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT WE
RECEIVED NOTICE ABOUT WE COULDN'T FIND A SINGLE INSTANCE WHERE THIS SURVEILLANCE HAD ACTUALLY HELPED OR SOLVE OR PREVENT A CRIME WHEN THEY SEARCHED FOR ISIS THEY LARGELY
HAD FOUND JOKES AND NEWS DISCUSSIONS NOT THREATS WHEN THEY FOUND SOMEONE USING THE WORD OMAR WHICH MEANS COMMUNITY IN ARABIC TO ENCOURAGE MUSLIMS TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE WALK FOR HUNGER WHICH HAPPENS EVERY YEAR THAT HAD GOTTEN FLAGGED UNDER THEIR CATEGORY OF ISLAMIC EXTREMIST TERMINOLOGY. NOW WE ONLY FOUND THESE POSTS
BECAUSE SOMEONE AT BRICK HAD LEFT EMAIL ALERTS ON FOR THE SYSTEM. THEY COULD HAVE MONITORED FAR MORE KEYWORDS SILENTLY AND WE WOULD HAVE HAD HONESTLY NO WAY
OF KNOWING THIS AFTER WE EXPOSED THIS. AS YOU MAY REMEMBER COMMISSIONER EVANS WITHDREW HIS $1.4 MILLION PROPOSAL FOR NEW SURVEILLANCE TOOLS TWITTER,
FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM HAD KICKED GRAFFITI OFF OF THEIR PLATFORMS AND WE HAVE THE SURVEILLANCE ORDINANCE WE HAVE NOW. WE REALLY DID THINK THINGS WOULD CHANGE BUT I THINK US ALL
BEING HERE TODAY DEMONSTRATES THAT THEY DIDN'T. SO LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THESE TECHNOLOGIES WORK IN 2018 JIOFI USED VERY
SIMPLE KEYWORD MATCHING TO FLAG PEOPLE. THE ANALYSTS WOULD CREATE A CATEGORY AND THEY WOULD ADD A LIST OF KEYWORDS TO THAT CATEGORY AND THEN RECEIVE UPDATES AND INFORMATION THEN
BASED ON WHATEVER IT IS THEY HAD SET UP BUT TODAY'S TOOLS ARE CAPABLE OF UTILIZING EXTENSIVE PREDICTIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO MAKE DETERMINATIONS ABOUT WHO OR IS
DANGEROUS REALLY BEFORE ANY CRIME MAY EVEN OCCUR. FATIMA JUST MENTIONED SITE INTELLIGENCE. THIS IS THE SAME TOOL THAT THE COMMISSIONER WROTE ABOUT IN HIS JUNE 5TH LETTER TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
THIS TOOL USES MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHMS TO CLASSIFY AI YOU KNOW WHAT IS OR IS NOT VIOLENT RHETORIC OR ANTI-GOVERNMENT VIOLENT EXTREMISM. IT MAKES THESE PREDICTIONS
BASED ON PATTERNS THAT IT CLAIMS TO DETECT AND WHAT IN EFFECT HAPPENS IS THAT A PRIVATE COMPANIES ALGORITHM GETS TO DECIDE IF YOUR RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION OR POLITICAL OPINION CAN CROSS
INTO EXTREMISM. NOW TANGLES WHICH I RECOGNIZE THE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE ACCESS TO GOES EVEN FURTHER THAN THAT IT BUILDS WHAT THESE WHAT THEY
CALL THESE DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS WHICH ARE PROFILES BUILDING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION LINKING THEM TO LOCATION DATA FROM YOUR PHONE'S ADVERTISING ID IT MAPS YOUR RELATIONSHIPS.
YOUR MOVEMENTS CAN IDENTIFY YOUR WORKPLACE OR YOUR HOME. THE TOOL CAN GEOFENCE ANY AREA AND RETROSPECTIVELY IDENTIFY ANYBODY WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN THERE. IT'S BUILT ON TOP
OF ADVERTISING DATA THAT'S COLLECTED BY COMPANIES CALLED DATA BROKERS. THEY ARE DOING THIS UNDER THE AUSPICES OF TRYING TO SELL US SOMETHING BUT IT'S DATA THAT'S COLLECTED AND SOLD TO TRACK US
TANGLES GOES MUCH FURTHER THAN THE SITE INTELLIGENCE TOOL AND IT COMES IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT'S SO DANGEROUS REALLY THAT OTHER COMPANIES OTHER STATES
HAVE PASSED LAWS TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM THESE VERY DATA BROKERS IN A FEW YEARS AGO AFTER 20 YEAR OLD DANIEL DARRELL WAS MURDERED BY SOMEONE WHO BOUGHT HIS MOTHER'S HOME
ADDRESS FROM A DATA BROKER NEW JERSEY HAD PASSED A LAW COMMONLY CALLED DANIEL'S LAW ALLOWING JUDGES, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THEIR FAMILIES TO REMOVE THEIR INFORMATION
FROM THESE DATABASES. BUT YOU KNOW, DATA BROKERS ARE CONSIDERED SUCH A THREAT THAT POLICE OFFICERS THEMSELVES MAY NEED PROTECTION FROM THEM. AND YET BPD HAS USED THIS TOOL
WHICH IS BUILT OFF OF THE EXACT SAME DATA BROKER ECOSYSTEM THEY USING AGAINST BOSTON RESIDENTS THE VERY SURVEILLANCE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ANOTHER STATE ACTIVELY RECOGNIZES AS TOO DANGEROUS.
NOW THE COMPANIES WORK HAND IN HAND WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. THEY GOING TO GO AS FAR AS EVEN COACHING THEM JIOFI IDEA ACTIVELY COACHED BPD YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGING THEM TO MONITOR
STUDENTS THEY HAD SUGGESTED THAT THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT TRY TO USE HASHTAG BY BLACK LIVES MATTER WRITE THESE BIASES YOU KNOW, STARTING FROM THERE AND GOING NOW INTO
SITES FOUNDER PUBLICLY TARGETING PALESTINIAN ACTIVISM IT'S ALL PART OF THE SAME PATTERN THE BIASES ARE BAKED INTO THE CODE BUT THINGS HAVE CHANGED QUITE A LOT SINCE 2018.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE PREDICTED AI AND GENERATIVE AI AND CHAT CBT THESE TOOLS COMBINE THESE THINGS WHERE PREDICTIVE I CAN FLAG SOMEONE AS SUSPICIOUS AND
GENERATIVE AI THAT CAN CREATE NARRATIVES ABOUT WHY SOMEONE IS SUSPICIOUS. THESE THINGS CAN WORK HAND IN HAND. THEY CAN TAKE A HANDFUL OF INNOCUOUS SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
,GENERATE ENTIRE INTELLIGENCE REPORTS, REPORTS AND MAKE THAT ENTIRELY BASED ON SOMEONE'S POSTS ONLINE. THAT SOUNDS OBJECTIVE AND
SCIENTIFIC BUT NO ONE'S VETTED THESE METHODS. YOU KNOW IF I ATTEND A PROTEST AND THE PREDICTIVE ALGORITHM DECIDES TO FLAG MY ATTENDANCE THERE IS CONCERNING THE SYSTEM
COULD GENERATE A REPORT NOTING MY ANTI-GOVERNMENT SENTIMENT, MY NETWORK ASSOCIATIONS, MY ESCALATING RHETORIC EVEN IF I JUST PUT A NEWS ARTICLE ON MY INSTAGRAM STORY AND HAPPENS TO
BE OUTSIDE CHANTING SOMETHING THIS GENERATIVE NARRATIVE COULD BECOME PART OF MY LIFE SHAPING HOW LAW ENFORCEMENT SEES ME AND THE LEGAL PROCESS UNFORTUNATELY HAS COMPLETELY FAILED TO ADAPT.
WE REQUIRE SCIENTIFIC VALIDATION FOR FORENSIC EVIDENCE. WE DEMAND KNOWN ERROR RATES IF THE DA'S OFFICE RELIED ON A TOOL TO BRING CHARGES, THAT
TOOL COULD BE TO SOME DEGREE CHALLENGED IN COURT. A DEFENDANT COULD TRY TO CROSS-EXAMINE THE USE OF THE TOOL. BUT SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEILLANCE ALGORITHMS OPERATE UNDER NO SUCH SCRUTINY.
THEY ARE TREATED AS INFALLIBLE WHEN REALLY THEY'RE JUST SOPHISTICATED PATTERN MATCHING SYSTEMS PRONE TO SPECTACULAR MISFIRE AND FAILURES. THEY CAN DEPRIVE SOMEONE
OF RIGHTS OR DUE PROCESS SIMPLY BY MAKING GENERALIZED ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHAT SOMEONE MIGHT SAY ONLINE YOUR FITBIT OR YOUR GARMIN WHICH I USE HAS
MORE VALIDATION REQUIREMENTS THAN THE AI THAT DETERMINES ARE A THREAT. THE SOFTWARE IN YOUR CAR'S AIRBAGS FACES STRICTER SCRUTINY AND TESTING THAN THE ALGORITHM
THAT PUTS YOU UNDER SURVEILLANCE. WE LITERALLY HAVE HIGHER STANDARDS FOR STEP COUNTERS BY N'EST THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY DENVER SYSTEMS THAT GENERATE
PROBABLE CAUSE WHEN BPD AND BREAK USE THESE TOOLS TO GENERATE PROBABLE CAUSE FROM SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS. THEY'RE OUTSOURCING CONSTITUTIONAL DETERMINATIONS TO PRIVATE COMPANIES.
THE FOURTH AMENDMENT REQUIRES PARTICULARIZED SUSPICION BASED ON SPECIFIC FACTS AND THESE ALGORITHMS CAST VERY WIDE NETS FLAGGING THOUSANDS OF POSTS AND
THEN WORKING BACKWARDS TO JUSTIFY WHY SOMEONE MIGHT BE SUSPICIOUS. THE SIXTH AMENDMENT GUARANTEES YOUR RIGHT TO CONFRONT WITNESSES AGAINST YOU, BUT WHEN SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEILLANCE
SOFTWARE GENERATES THE SUSPICION THAT MIGHT LEAD TO SOMEONE'S ARREST, WHO DO YOU CONFRONT THE ANALYSTS THAT PRESS THE BUTTON THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER PROTECTED BY TRADE
SECRETS THE ALGORITHM ITSELF CREATES A LOOP WHAT WE CALL A DEFERENCE LOOP. COURTS DEFER TO POLICE ABOUT WHAT THE SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYSIS FOUND.
POLICE COULD DEFER TO WHAT THE SOFTWARE DETERMINES THE SOFTWARE'S DECISION MAKING PROCESSES ARE SHIELDED AND NOBODY ACTUALLY GETS TO
EVALUATE WHETHER MONITORING SOMEONE'S TWEETS OR SOCIAL MEDIA SHOULD CONSTITUTE REACHING PROBABLE CAUSE. NOW WE ARE REVISITING THIS
CONVERSATION AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE AND IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING PROCESS. BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK IN THE TIME SINCE I RESEARCHED THIS AND THE TIME THAT WE'RE NOW DISCUSSING THIS, WE'RE YET TO
SEE REAL MEANINGFUL PROMISES AND STORIES ABOUT SUCCESSES SUCCESSES HERE. YOU KNOW, DURING MY TIME IN THE SUFFOLK COUNTY DA'S OFFICE, I SAW HOW THESE INVESTIGATIONS
WORK. THEY START WITH VERY SPECIFIC CRIMES, VERY SPECIFIC SUSPECTS APPLICATIONS FOR COMPLAINTS. THERE ARE LEGAL PROCESSES, SUBPOENAS, WARRANTS, NOT ALGORITHMIC DRAGNETS.
CASES ARE BUILT ON EVIDENCE, NOT ON A GENERATED SUSPICION THE SAME VIOLATIONS WITH MORE DANGEROUS TECHNOLOGY IS EXACTLY WHERE WE'RE HEADED. THESE THESE COMPANIES HAVE
CHANGED. THE CAPABILITIES HAVE EXPANDED BUT THE CORE ABUSE WHICH IS TREATING FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTED ACTIVITY AS CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE REMAINS SO AND I
THINK I'LL CONCLUDE ON THE VERY FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHILE THIS IS THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TOOLS BEING USED WITHIN THE CITY
OF BOSTON, BRICK'S WORK EXTENDS BEYOND BOSTON EXTENDS TO BROOKLINE, CAMBRIDGE, CHELSEA EVERETT, QUINCY AND REVERE SOMERVILLE, WINTHROP.
ALL THE DECISIONS MADE HERE AROUND THIS AFFECT THESE COMMUNITIES AND I WANT TO MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY ANY ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN POSSIBLY
PROVIDE IN ORDER TO MAKE YOU GUYS HELP YOU GUYS MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BOTH
BEING HERE AND PROVIDING YOUR TESTIMONY. WE WILL NOW GO TO COUNCIL TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL FOR
COUNCILOR QUESTIONS WE WILL CARE ABOUT YOU HAVE I'LL 4 MINUTES TO AGREE AND FOR EACH COUNCILOR ON COUNCIL PRESIDENT OF THE FLOOR.
THANK YOU MR CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE PANELISTS. I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION REGARDING THE USE OF THIS PARTICULAR SOCIAL MEDIA TOOL
AND HOW WE'VE SEEN IT USED IN A WAY THAT MAKES A LITTLE BIT MULTITASKING. HAVE YOU SEEN IT USED IN A WAY
IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT GIVE FOLKS PASS? YEAH I THINK THESE WELL SO FOR
CHORUS AND TANGLES AND CHORUS ESPECIALLY WE KNOW LESS ABOUT HOW THEY'RE USING IT HERE AND HOW YOU KNOW OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS MIGHT BE USING IT I
THINK SITE INTELLIGENCE DEFINITELY GIVEN THE HISTORY OF LIKE THE FOUNDER OF THE ORGANIZATION, HOW THE SITE HAS FUNCTIONED IN THE PAST, HOW
EVEN THE WHITE HOUSE QUESTIONED BLAKE, HER TACTICS YOU KNOW, THAT GIVES US GREAT PAUSE AND THEN I THINK FOR CHORUS AND TANGLES TO WHAT NASSER IS
SAYING LIKE GIVEN THE CAPABILITIES YOU KNOW THAT GIVES US PAUSE. BUT I DON'T KNOW I DON'T I THINK YOU KNOW, FOR SOME OF THESE NEWER TOOLS LIKE COURSE AND TANGLES WE'RE STILL WAITING TO SEE YOU KNOW WHAT
WHAT POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING WITH THOSE TOOLS. YEAH, I WILL SAY I THINK THERE'S JUST A FUNDAMENTAL LACK OF INFORMATION. RIGHT.
AND WE WE REALLY ONLY EVER FIND OUT IF A TOOL WAS IMPROPERLY USED OR IF IT RISES TO THE LEVEL OF A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT IN SOME JURISDICTIONS AND THEN
IT'S DISCLOSED THROUGH DISCOVERY LIKE OH THIS TOOL WAS USED RIGHT? THE FACT THAT THIS OPERATES THIS THIS HAPPENS IN SECRET IS
FRANKLY ALARMING AND NO SMALL PART BECAUSE THE DATA IS COLLECTED IT IS STORED AND IS SHARED WITH WHO KNOWS WHOM. YOU KNOW, I CAN'T TELL YOU FOR
EXAMPLE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER KEYWORDS WERE TRACK TRACKED DURING THE TIME THAT I INVESTIGATED THIS IN 2017 AND 2018. AND WE ALSO DO NOT KNOW WHETHER ANY OF THAT INFORMATION WAS
RETAINED AND OR SHARED WITH FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT BACK THEN. RIGHT. I THINK ALTOGETHER THAT PAINTS
A PRETTY ALARMING PICTURE BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, I THINK THAT GAVE ME WHAT I NEEDED. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR, FOR
ALLOWING ME TO ASK A QUESTION BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. I THANK YOU ALSO BRAYDON, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. WELL, I ALSO BEFORE SORRY BECAUSE THE WAY TO DO
WHAT I ACKNOWLEDGED I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH US TODAY. HE CAME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRESENTATION. I FORGOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM SO LIKE I CELEBRATED ON THE FLOOR THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. I THINK THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. IT'S REALLY HELPED ME GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE THE THE IMPLICATIONS OF HAVING
SURVEILLANCE SOFTWARE FOR, SOCIAL MEDIA. I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THE EXTENT TO WHICH I WANT TO SEARCH HAS BEEN DONE OR IN
ACADEMIC CIRCLES ABOUT THIS. I KNOW WE HAD A HEARING SEVERAL YEARS AGO ABOUT FACIAL RECOGNITION FACIAL RECOGNITION SOFTWARE AND HOW IT'S BEEN VERY MUCH THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE
AMOUNT OF BIAS IN IT. AND AGAIN IN TERMS OF SEARCH KEYWORDS, SEARCHING THE SOFTWARE SEE AND CORRECT ME IF
I'M WRONG SOFTWARE SEEMS TO JUST SORT OF REINFORCE PEOPLE'S BIASES ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY'RE SEARCHING FOR AND THEN HOW HOW OR HOW IS ALL THE INFORMATION AGGREGATED TO TO
FORM A PAINT A PICTURE OF INDIVIDUALS SAY THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS OR THEIR ACTIVITIES?
I DON'T KNOW IF NASR CAN ANSWER THAT ONE BUT FOR WHOMEVER I WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER THANK YOU . YEAH, I THINK ON THE TOPIC
OF OF RESEARCH AND ACADEMIA THERE THERE WAS A SERIES OF LAW REVIEW ARTICLES THAT I HAVE I THINK I REFERENCE IMPLICITLY AND IN MY TESTIMONY THAT I
THINK ARE PARTICULARLY FRAMING AND HAVE GREAT EXAMPLES OF HOW THE FOURTH AMENDMENT PARTICULARLY GETS AUTOMATED WITH THESE TOOLS. I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK AT THE MOMENT TO THE LATEST
TECHNOLOGIES AROUND SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU KNOW, PARTLY BECAUSE THE COMPANIES WHO DESIGN THEM WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SELDOM IF AT
ALL WITH ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS RIGHT IN THE I GUESS THE MORE THE PROXY TO TALK ABOUT THIS WOULD BE IN ANY OTHER FORENSIC
SCIENCE SPACE YOU WOULD HAVE A TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS FINGERPRINTING AND THERE WOULD BE A FORENSIC SCIENCE JOURNAL THAT THE RESULTS AND EFFICACY OF THOSE TECHNOLOGIES COULD BE PUBLISHED IN AN INDEPENDENTLY
VETTED BY OTHER FORENSIC TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS. THERE IS NOT NOTHING QUITE LIKE THAT REALLY IN THE SPACE SURVEILLANCE AND SOCIAL MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES. THERE'S NO COMPARATIVE AND I
THINK THAT'S IN NO SMALL PART BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S DESIGNED IS IS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, IT'S NOT SHARED AND SO WE CAN TEST METHODS, WE CAN TEST OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW PEOPLE MAY
EXPERIENCE THEM. WE RARELY KNOW IF THESE TECHNOLOGIES MAKE THEIR WAY INTO CRIMINAL CASES UNLESS SOMETHING WENT WRONG GENERALLY. SO I WOULD BE HAPPY TO I THINK
SEND SOME NOTES OVER IN WRITTEN FORM TO YOU COUNSELOR BUT THAT'S MY GENERAL UNDERSTANDING AT THE MOMENT THAT THERE IS NOT TOO MUCH FOR US TO DRAW FROM.
I THINK THAT I THINK THE THING IS IN TERMS OF AS YOU SAY FINGERPRINT TECHNOLOGY OR WHATEVER IT'S BEEN VERIFIED, IT'S BEEN THE ACCURACY OF EVEN DNA EVIDENCE HAS BEEN VERIFIED
IS THE ACCURACY OF WHAT'S BEEN BEEN VERIFIED. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR.
THAT'S ALL I HAD AND YOU CAN ALSO AND AS FOR WHETHER THE OTHER FOUR. SURE. THANK YOU FOR FATMA NASR. I GUESS MAYBE THIS IS FOR
NASSER CAN YOU SO IN TERMS OF THESE SOCIAL MEDIA SORT OF SCRUBBING TOOLS, CAN YOU JUST IN I GUESS SINCE WHAT'S THE TIMELINE THEY USE THEM
2015, 2016 AND THEN THEY DIDN'T USE THEM UNTIL RECENTLY. IT JUST LAID THIS OUT FOR ME. YEAH. YEAH. THE TIMELINE COUNCILOR YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT. YEAH, YEAH EXACTLY.
SURE. MAYBE WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND BUT AS FAR AS YOU UNDERSTAND LIKE OR HAVE THEY ALWAYS BEEN USING THESE TOOLS OR WAS THERE A TIME IN
WHICH THEY WEREN'T I CAN'T SPEAK TO PRIOR TO THAT RESEARCH I THINK FATIMA OPENED WITH THE ANTI WAR MONITORING BUT SPECIFICALLY WITH SOCIAL MEDIA AS I UNDERSTAND IT THE REAL
FIRST NOTICE WE CAME TO UNDERSTAND OF THIS TECHNOLOGY WAS ABOUT 2015 AND THIS REPORT THAT I PUBLISHED I PUBLISHED IN
THE BEGINNING OF 2018 AND IN THE TIME SINCE IT SEEMS THAT I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO LIKE 20 SO THAT WE PUBLISHED IN 2018 2019 TO ABOUT 2022 I'M NOT SURE
ABOUT THAT TIME FRAME. I THINK AFTER THAT WHERE IS EVERYTHING UNFOLDING RIGHT NOW WHERE WE ARE KNOWING OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF TECHNOLOGY YOU KNOW, SITES
TANGLES COURSE AND ANY OTHER DATABASES THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAY HAVE AND PROVIDE TO BREAK THAT WE ARE NOT AWARE
OF. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION I GUESS OR JUST I MEAN MAYBE IF THEY WERE DEFINITELY USING THEM IN THE MID 20 TENS AND THEN WE KNOW THEY'RE THEY USED A MORE
RECENTLY I'M JUST WONDERING IF IF IF WE THINK THEY WERE JUST BEEN USING DIFFERENT PROGRAMS YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY EXPECTATION BUT I'M JUST ASKING IF YOU HAD
I KIND OF THINK THAT WE I THINK WE KNOW YOU KNOW WE KNOW OF COURSE ENTANGLES IN SITE NOW BECAUSE OF THE SURVEILLANCE ORDINANCE WHICH WENT INTO
EFFECT I THINK IN 2022 OR 2023 AND THEN WE KNOW THEY USED GEO FEEDS. YEAH AROUND LIKE 2015 2016 BECAUSE OF NASSER UNCOVERING
IT. SO WE DON'T KNOW PRIOR TO THE SURVEILLANCE ORDINANCE IF THERE WERE OTHER SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS AND TOOLS LIKE GEO
FEEDS ASIDE FROM GEO FEEDS BUT WE DO KNOW THEY HAVE CONSISTENTLY ENGAGED IN OPEN SOURCE MONITORING WHICH IS JUST LOOKING UP OUR SOCIAL MEDIA
QUITE REGULARLY LIKE YEAH SPEAKING TO LIKE THE BIAS THAT COUNCILOR BRENNAN ASKED ABOUT LIKE IT'S NOT JUST BAKED INTO THESE TOOLS BUT IT'S ALSO YOU
KNOW BRICK LOOKING AT A MUSLIM ORGANIZATION AND A JEWISH ORGANIZATION HAVING EVENTS ON THE SAME DAY AND SAYING WE'RE GOING TO SEND A TON OF POLICE TO, YOU KNOW, THE EVENT WITH
THE MUSLIM ORGANIZATION WHICH LIKE YOU KNOW, WE COME TO CITY COUNCIL REGULARLY I'M SURE SOME OF YOU FIND IT ANNOYING BUT HOPEFULLY YOU DON'T FIND US LIKE THREATENING AND SO IT WAS
VERY SURPRISING THAT DPD WOULD RESPOND THAT WAY. YEAH, I HEAR YOU JUST RUNNING PLAY RADIO TIMER. DO EITHER OF YOU HAVE ANY
EXAMPLES WHERE SOMEBODY SAID SOMETHING THAT BECAUSE YOU HAD A KEYWORD IN IT OR SOMETHING BUT NOT YOU KNOW TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT THAT WAS FLAGGED
THROUGH THIS OR IS THAT IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS MAYBE YOU WANTED TO SPEAK MORE GENERALLY ABOUT AND THEN YOU KNOW ANY EXAMPLES IN YOUR RESEARCH YOU TO HIGHLIGHT?
ABSOLUTELY. COUNCILOR, THANKS FOR THAT QUESTION. YES, IT HAPPENS CERTAINLY IN THE RESEARCH THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COVER WITH UNCOVER WITH THIS THESE EMAIL ALERTS NEARLY EVERY
INSTANCE THAT WE COULD SEE OR IF NOT ALL OF THEM VERY CLEARLY WERE NOT MATTERS THAT WERE RISING TO THE LEVEL OF A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT OR EVEN AN
ARREST. THEY WERE JUST INNOCUOUS SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS. RIGHT AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IF IF WE PUBLISH THIS IN THE CITY IN THE IN THE BREAK RESPONDED
WITH YOU KNOW A PUBLICATION OF OF ONES THAT DID CONSTITUTE THE JUSTIFICATION OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES THEN I THINK WE WOULD BE HAVING A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION HERE TODAY BUT THAT ALL OF THEM WERE INNOCUOUS
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS THAT PEOPLE WERE MAKING AROUND YOU KNOW ISLAMIC EFFORTS ISLAMIST EXTREMIST TERROR TERRORISM OR AROUND STUDENT WALKOUTS, BLACK LIVES MATTER, MUSLIM LIVES
MATTER I CAN SEND YOU MORE DETAILED LINKS AND DETAILS TO THE MATERIALS WE HAD PUBLISHED FOR YOUR YOUR BROWSING. OKAY.
THANKS FOR THAT AND I DON'T FEEL ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT. NO. OKAY. AND I GUESS I DON'T KNOW WHAT DO I MISS THE PART DO EITHER OF YOU HAVE OR FATMA HAVE A SUGGESTION?
WHAT'S YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO US GOING INTO NEXT WEEK? YEAH I MEAN WE REALLY RECOMMEND VOTING NO ON THIS AND YOU KNOW REJECTING THESE NEW TOOLS GIVEN
BOTH EPRDF'S OWN HISTORY OF USING GRAFFITI TO TARGET FOLKS TALKING ABOUT BLACK LIVES MATTER SURVEILLANCE STUDENTS TARGET MUSLIM THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE GIVEN THE
YOU KNOW REALLY KIND OF DISCUSSED BEHAVIOR OF THE FOUNDER OF SITE INTELLIGENCE AND HER TARGETING OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY AND REALLY THE LACK OF INFORMATION ABOUT COURSE
THIS NEW TOOL THAT THEY'RE ADDING. YEAH I WOULD HOPE ESPECIALLY IN THE MOMENT THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW WITH YOU KNOW, PALANTIR AND
DOEGE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TRYING TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH DATA AS THEY CAN TO TARGET OUR COMMUNITIES. I, I HOPE THAT THIS GIVES THE COUNCIL GREAT PAUSE. I HOPE THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD
REJECT THESE TOOLS AND ASK FOR MORE MUCH MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT BRICK IS DOING. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I SEE THE CHAIR IS ON.
I THINK IT SIGNALS THE END OF MY TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, CHAIR YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR.
THANK YOU TO THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE AND I WANT TO WELCOME THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE. UM FADAMA IN YOUR OPENING
STATEMENT OR OPENING COMMENT YOU MENTIONED THE REPORT RELEASED TO THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL OR THE REPORT RELEASED TO THE CITY WAS OVERDUE.
WAS IS THAT WHAT YOU MENTIONED ? COULD COULD COULD YOU JUST RESTATE THAT? I DIDN'T I DIDN'T HEAR ALL OF IT. I APOLOGIZE BUT COULD YOU JUST RESTATE WHAT YOU WHAT YOU
MENTIONED? YEAH, I THINK COUNCILOR WEBER MIGHT KNOW THE EXACT TIMELINES BETTER SINCE HE'S INVOLVED IN THE SURVEILLANCE ORDINANCE, BUT
I BELIEVE ONE THAT BPD SUBMITTED THAT THAT ANNUAL SURVEILLANCE REPORT AND THESE ITEMS LATE BASED ON THE
TIMELINE FOR THE ORDINANCE AND THEN THE OTHER PIECES THESE NEW THESE NEW TOOLS THE SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEILLANCE TOOLS AND THE THE RAT MONITORING SYSTEM I
BELIEVE PEOPLE POINTED THIS OUT IN THE LAST HEARING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY START USING SOMETHING UNDER EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES, THEY'RE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO REPORT THAT TO THE
COUNCIL WITHIN 30 DAYS AND IN THIS CASE THEY DIDN'T DO THAT AND THEY ALSO JUST HAVE CONTINUED TO USE THEM SO THEY DIDN'T COME AND ASK FOR PERMISSION OR RUN ANY OF THIS
BY THE COUNCIL. SO THEY'VE CONTINUED USING THEM NOW. THANK YOU. THAT INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED IS HELPFUL. I DON'T KNOW THE REASON WHY IT
WAS LATE OR WHY THEY DON'T GO TO THE COUNCIL BUT MR CHAIR, DO YOU HAVE A BASICALLY AN ANSWER FOR FADAMA AND MYSELF I GUESS
ALSO IS DO WE KNOW WHY THE REPORT WAS LATE OR WHY THEY DON'T GO TO THE COUNCIL? I JUST IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY I WOULD ASSUME WOULD WANT TO KNOW THAT RIGHT?
YEAH. COUNSELOR SO THE ADMINISTRATION DID COME TO THE HEARING LAST WEEK AND YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE COUNCILORS EXPRESSED
FRUSTRATION WITH WITH THE REPORT BEING LATE AND THE ADMINISTRATION, YOU KNOW, SAID THAT THEY WERE LATE AND THAT THEY WOULD HOPE TO BE ON TIME
NEXT YEAR SO THAT THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED WE DID NOT RECEIVE IT IN TERMS OF INFORMATION. THAT'S THE WAY THAT WE AND HOW HOW LATE WORK WAS IT, MR CHAIR
,I WILL HAVE TO GET THE EXACT NUMBER IN TERMS OF WHEN WHEN WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED IT AND WHEN IT WAS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER AND IT WAS IT WAS A COUPLE OF DAYS LATE.
YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT IF THOSE WAS IT WAS AT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME. IS THAT WHAT WAS WAS SAYING? IT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME A MONTH. YEAH.
I THINK I THINK THE I MEAN THESE NEW TOOLS WERE USED IN OCTOBER OF 2024 AND WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN REPORTED ON WITHIN 30 DAYS.
SO THAT'S YOU KNOW, AT LEAST WHAT MAYBE TEN MONTHS AGO AND THEN THE SURVEY THE ANNUAL SURVEILLANCE REPORT I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT TIMELINE BUT I I
WOULD GUESS AT LEAST OVER A MONTH OVER OVERDUE BUT SOMEBODY ELSE MIGHT KNOW THE EXACT TIMELINE OF WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. CORRECT. OKAY.
AND THEN THEN MAYBE MY FINAL QUESTION AND IN FATMA, I, I DO RESPECT YOU AND AND SEE YOU TESTIFYING. YOU'RE VERY PROFESSIONAL.
AND LET ME JUST ASK A QUESTION. BOSTON BEING AN INTERNATIONAL CITY WITH MAJOR COLLEGES AND HOSPITALS AND BUSINESSES IN THE
WORLD BUT WHAT DON'T WE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT ALL ASPECTS OF INTELLIGENCE SO WE HAVE A SAFE CITY AND AGAIN, I THINK
NASSER OR FATMA ARE ALSO MENTIONED. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT BOSTON, IT'S ABOUT GREATER BOSTON THROUGH MASSACHUSETTS. WE RECEIVE THE FEDERAL FUNDS ON HOMELAND SECURITY THAT I'VE
ADVOCATED FOR AT TIMES IT'S ALWAYS CHALLENGING TO GET IT APPROVED BUT DON'T WE REALLY HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO STAY ON TOP OF THE ADVANCED
TECHNOLOGY TO ENSURE THAT THE ENTIRE GREATER BOSTON AND COMMONWEALTH IS SAFE THROUGH THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT OF THE BOSTON POLICE AND IN
NEIGHBORING CITIES AND TOWNS, LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS? YEAH, I MEAN I THINK IT'S ONE THING IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE USING
A TOOL THAT ACTUALLY IDENTIFIES AN INSTANCE OF VIOLENCE THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT WHEN YOU ARE USING TOOLS THAT ARE MASS SURVEILLING CITY
YOU KNOW THE FUTURE MAYOR MYSELF BLAKE STUDENT PROTESTS I MEAN THAT IS BOTH EXTREMELY CONCERNING AND MAKES PEOPLE
UNSAFE WE SEE YOU KNOW WE ALL KNOW THAT ROMNEY SO STARK WAS TARGETED LITERALLY JUST FOR WRITING AN OP ED ABOUT PALESTINE AND THEN YOU HAVE
BRICK PUTTING OUT THESE REPORTS TWICE A DAY TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PRIVATE AGENCIES ABOUT OUR
FILM SCREENINGS AND STUDENT EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND TYING THAT TO GLOBAL NEWS ABOUT AL QAIDA AND AL-SHABAB THAT IS
CONTRIBUTING TO LIKE THE THREAT INFLATION THREAT FABRICATION AROUND OUR COMMUNITIES AND STUDENTS WHO ARE BEING DEPORTED NOW BECAUSE OF THAT. SO I THINK THIS IS, YOU KNOW,
QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY MAKING MANY OF US UNSAFE IF IT MAKES ME PAUSE ABOUT SHOULD I COME TO CITY HALL KNOW IF THIS IS GOING TO BE THE RESPONSE, HOW CAN WE
ENCOURAGE OUR COMMUNITY TO EVEN TESTIFY AT CITY HALL IF THAT'S IF THAT'S HOW DPD RESPONDS TO ASK SOME ORGANIZATION AND THEN
IF I MAY ADD COUNCILOR, I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY ESPECIALLY THE FUNDING CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY LOCALLY BUT THE GOAL SHOULD BE
SMART TARGETED SECURITY THAT DEMONSTRABLY MAKES COMMUNITIES SAFER RIGHT WITH WITH PROVEN EVIDENCE AND TRACK RECORDS AND METHODS THAT CAN BE INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED AND
VETTED BY THIRD PARTIES ACADEMIC ACADEMIA AND I THINK OFTEN WE STRUGGLE TO FIND THAT BALANCE CERTAIN KINDS OF TECHNOLOGY AS WE JUST DISCUSSED WITH COUNCILOR GRAYDON THAT LIKE
FINGERPRINTING OR DNA DO GET THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE VETTED SEPARATELY. BUT I DON'T THINK TO DATE WE HAVE SEEN ANYTHING SIMILAR FOR THIS TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY.
OKAY THEN THEN MAYBE ONE FINAL QUESTION, MR CHAIR. CAN I CAN I ASK ONE FINAL QUESTION WHEN YOU MAKE COUNCILOR OKAY AND TO FADAMA OR
TO NOW SO SO WITH THE ANNUAL REPORT DO YOU EXPECT OR DO YOU EXPECT THE BOSTON CITY
COUNCIL TO KIND OF BE THE CHECKS AND BALANCES AGAINST THE AGAINST THE BRICK AND STANDING UP ON STANDING UP FOR THOSE
ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTED BY CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS SUCH AS YOURSELF OR DO YOU JUST EXPECT THE CITY COUNCIL JUST TO LOOK GET THE
REPORT AND JUST PUT IT ON THE PUT IT ON THE DESK AND NOT TO READ IT? I DON'T MEAN TO BE FACETIOUS BUT DO DO YOU EXPECT THE COUNCIL TO REALLY DIG IT AND
CHALLENGE THE BRICK ON THIS? YEAH I MEAN UNFOR GENERALLY RIGHT NOW BOSTON CITY COUNCIL LIKE IS THE ONLY POINT WHERE THESE THINGS GET CHECKED. I KNOW THAT'S A CONCERN FOR
MANY OF THEIR RESIDENTS THAT THEIR CITY COUNCILS DON'T GET ARE NOT INVOLVED EVEN THOUGH BRICK INCLUDE ALL OF THOSE POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND THAT YOU KNOW EVEN IN THE GRANT
APPLICATION THAT JUST HAPPENED THE OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS SHARED CONCERNS ABOUT APPLYING FOR THAT GRANT BUT YOU KNOW BOSTON MOVED FORWARD WITH IT SO
THERE'S DEFINITELY CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THE THE ONLY KIND OF POINT DURING THE PROCESS WHERE THERE IS ANY KIND OF REVIEW ENDS UP BEING BOSTON
CITY COUNCIL THAT PUTS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON YOU ALL TO READ ALL ALL OF THIS INFORMATION THE REPORT IS GIGANTIC YOU KNOW I KNOW IT'S LIKE NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR ANY OF US TO GET THROUGH
ALL OF THAT ALL OF THAT INFORMATION. SO YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THINK ABOUT IS THERE A BETTER PROCESS THAT COULD ENGAGE? I THINK THERE'S LIKE AN
ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT WAS SET UP AS WELL. YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S A BETTER WAY OF GOING ABOUT THIS SO IT'S NOT JUST ON YOU BUT YES, RIGHT NOW LIKE YOU'RE KIND
OF THE ONLY PLACE WE CAN COME TO TO SAY BRICK IS DOING ALL OF THIS HORRIBLE STUFF TO OUR COMMUNITIES AND YOU KNOW, YOU ALL HAVE A SAY IN THAT.
WELL, THANK YOU. THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU PROVIDED WAS HELPFUL. MR CHAI THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME AN EXTRA COUPLE OF MINUTES TO ASK THE QUESTIONS.
I THINK IT'S ALSO OFFLINE ALSO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE FLOOR UP. I THINK WE ACTUALLY COUNCIL PREPARED FOR THANK YOU MR CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE
PANELISTS FOR PROVIDING SUCH A SUCH AN INFORMATIVE AND HELPFUL PRESENTATION AS WE CONTINUE TO DELIBERATE THIS AND LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO JUST HAVE THIS TYPE OF SURVEILLANCE
IN OUR COMMUNITIES. I WANTED TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO JUST THANK AND THANK THEM FOR THEIR WORK. THE FACT THAT IN THIS DAY AND AGE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING SURVEILLED IN ALL DIFFERENT
ANGLES AND SOCIAL MEDIA IS JUST A WHOLE OTHER BEAST TO NOT THERE'S A POINT WHERE IT'S LIKE IF YOU'RE THE DEFENDING IN A COURT WHO ARE YOU GOING TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE? IT'S AN ALGORITHM AT THIS POINT
AND IT'S JUST IT'S REALLY SAD THAT THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE GOT AND I JUST LOOKING AT HOW THE WAY THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM HAS BEEN GOING RECENTLY AND HOW
THERE'S CLEAR EVIDENCE OF FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN BEING BEEN ARRESTED OR TAKEN BECAUSE OF THEIR POSTS OR THEIR WRITTEN PIECES. MY QUESTION FOR THE BOTH
OF THEM THIS IS PART OF JUST CURIOSITY IS DOES THE TWO POLICE DEPARTMENTS OR IS THERE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT KIND OF DO LIKE THEY TALLY POINTS ON
HOW MANY POLLS A RESIDENT PUTS UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA LIKE I'M THINKING LIKE SIMILAR TO LIKE THE GANG DATABASE, RIGHT THIS LIKE HOW DO YOU HANG OUT WITH THESE PEOPLE? DO YOU WEAR THIS? DO YOU WEAR THESE ITEMS ETC.
I'M WONDERING IS THERE TYPE IS THAT THERE THAT TYPE OF TRACKING MECHANISM AS WELL WITH SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEILLANCE AND LIKE DO YOU BECOME MORE
OF A FLAG THE MORE YOU POST? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE IN THE SAME WAY COUNCILOR YOU KNOW THE GANG DATABASE IS A HIGHLY LOCAL
SYSTEM AND OFTENTIMES THESE TECHNOLOGIES ARE YOU KNOW, DESIGNED IN CONJUNCTION AND USED BY THESE THESE PRIVATE CORPORATIONS RIGHT. THAT IMPLEMENT THEIR WAYS
OF HOW SOMETHING LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEILLANCE SHOULD BE CONDUCTED. SO THE SYSTEMS DEFINITELY ALLOW
FOR FLAGGING INDIVIDUALS AND MAINTAINING RECORDS AND LINKING AND GROUPING RECORDS THAT MAY BE COLLECTED, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY OR PROSPECTIVELY
AND JUST ALLOWING TO BE PART OF THE INTELLIGENCE SUITE FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD OF BRICK WHETHER THEY ATTRIBUTE THE SAME
POINTS BASED SYSTEM. I KNOW I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I DID SPEND A BIT OF TIME INTERFACING WITH THE GANG UNIT AT THE AT THE DA'S OFFICE. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME THAT THEY FOLLOW THE EXACT
SAME TYPE OF METHODOLOGY TALKING ABOUT OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO LIKE BECAUSE I NEED TO THINK LIKE IF I WERE I THINK THESE ARE MORE QUESTIONS FOR THE POLICE BUT MIGHT AS WELL PICK
YOUR BRAIN ON THIS TO IF I WERE TO BE LIKE ALL RIGHT, WHO'S POSTING ABOUT I DON'T KNOW SATURDAY'S RALLY ABOUT ZEBRAS AND UNICORNS LIKE CAN IT CAN I
IS THERE A MECHANISM TO SAY ALL RIGHT, THESE PEOPLE ARE POSTING ABOUT THIS AND THEN THIS IS THEIR HISTORY ABOUT WHAT THEY POSTED BEFORE IS WHAT TRAFFIC
YEAH I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO ASK THE DIRECTOR OF THE BRIC HIMSELF BUT CERTAINLY I WOULD EXPECT THAT THESE TECHNOLOGIES DO HAVE THIS CAPABILITY THAT YOU'RE
DESCRIBING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NOW THIS IS THIS IS HELPFUL. AND AGAIN, YOUR PRESENTATION WAS ALSO JUST HELPFUL TO NOTE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS THAT THIS
HAVE ON COMMUNITY MEMBERS. SO I, I WILL HOLD MY QUESTIONS TO THE BREAK AND JUST THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO AND THANK YOU TO THE CHAIR FOR
CREATING THIS SPACE FOR US HERE SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU COUNSELOR AT THE END THAT WAS THE FIRST ROUND OF I WILL DO A SECOND ROUND I KNOW
WE HAVE OVER TEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY SO I DO WANT TO GET TO THEM BOTH. I WANT TO JUST DO A SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS FOR ANY OTHER COUNSELORS WHO NEED IT.
I'LL JUST GO A LITTLE IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL IT NO SECOND ROUND FOR ME. THANK YOU MR CHAIR. THE GREAT COUNCILOR BREADON IF
I'M GOOD, THANK YOU. GREAT. COUNSELOR WEBER, DO YOU HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS? YEAH. JUST QUICKLY. I MEAN FOR THE PANELISTS I MEAN
IS THERE UNIQUE ABOUT THE TOOLS THAT ARE THAT ARE BEFORE US NOW AS OPPOSED TO JUST SOCIAL MEDIA SCRUBBING IN GENERAL? SO I MEAN IF THEY WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT ANYTHING, ANY CONCERNS OR UM YOU KNOW ABOUT THESE WHETHER IT'S TANGLES OR YOU KNOW WHATEVER WHATEVER
THEY'RE USING THAT RAISES ANY CONCERNS OR IS IT JUST IN GENERALLY SPEAKING THESE KINDS
OF TACTICS? YEAH, I WOULD SAY WITH CHORUS WE JUST ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW MUCH. WE ASKED AROUND WITH OTHER EXPERTS AND PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
ENOUGH ABOUT IT YET SO WE DON'T KNOW. YEAH WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHICH MAYBE THAT'S THE UNIQUE PIECE OF THAT IS THAT YOU KNOW WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW MORE MORE
ABOUT IT BUT I IMAGINE IT'S SIMILAR TO WHAT NASSAR SHARED SIMILAR CONCERNS TO WHAT NASSAR SHARED WITH MANY OF THESE TOOLS THAT ARE POPPING UP NOW AND THEN YEAH, WITH SITE
INTELLIGENCE IT'S VERY MUCH LIKE THAT THIS PERSON THAT CREATED IT AND LIKE THE WHOLE START OF IT WAS VERY BIASED AGAINST MUSLIMS AND THAT'S LIKE
YOU KNOW A STRONG THEME OF OF DATA THAT SITE IS PRODUCING YEAH THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS THAT SOME OF THESE TOOLS
PERHAPS SITE AGAIN WE DON'T KNOW BUT SOME OF THEM LIKE JIOFI THEY'RE ONLY USED TO LINK TO SPECIFIC SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS RATHER THAN CREATING ENTIRE PROFILES AND CREATING PROFILES
PERHAPS EVEN LINKING IT WITH OTHER TYPES OF DATA. THAT'S A FEATURE OF THE NEW AGE OF THESE TOOLS AND IT COMES FROM THIS YOU KNOW ALL OF THIS INFORMATION THAT'S COLLECTED
ABOUT US WHERE WE ARE, WHO WE ARE BEING BOUGHT AND SOLD IN THESE PRIVATE INDUSTRIES OF DATA AND THESE COMPANIES THAT DESIGNED THESE TOOLS HAVE
THE POWER AND IN FACT THE RESOURCES TO BUY THESE BIG DATA BROKER INDUSTRIES LEAKS FROM OTHER DATA SOURCES INCLUDING YOU KNOW, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
LEAKS AND WE HAVE THEM INTO INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE THEN ABLE TO COLLECT IN REAL TIME AND MAKE SUPPOSITIONS ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF A PERSON OR WHAT
THEY ARE SAYING NOW THE IMPORTANT THING, HOWEVER, IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S AGAIN, THERE'S NOTHING SHOWING US THAT THE METHODS THEY'RE USING ARE WORKING AND ON TOP OF THAT THERE'S NO ABILITY TO QUESTION
THE ACCURACY OF ANY LINKED DATA THAT THEY MAY WEAVE INTO THESE TOOLS. THIS IS SOMETHING WE DIDN'T HAVE A WHERE WE WEREN'T AWARE OF WHEN JIOFI DATA WAS WAS IN USE IN 2015.
SO I THINK IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF IS THE DIFFERENT LAYERS OF DATA FROM ALL OVER THE INTERNET.
YEAH. OKAY THANKS. ONE MORE QUICK THING. I THINK I THOUGHT I MAYBE ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS BUT I THOUGHT I READ YESTERDAY THAT THERE WAS LIKE 6000 STUDENT
VISAS REVOKED. I DON'T KNOW IF THESE TOOLS ARE BEING USED IN THAT YOU KNOW, THAT'S RELATIVE TO TODAY'S DISCUSSION.
AND I KNOW YOU KNOW, WE MENTIONED PROMESA AND HOW THEY'RE USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO SCRUB STUDENTS. I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT ABOUT THAT AND WHETHER INFORMATION I GUESS
THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS WHAT INFORMATION THAT THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT PICKED UP THROUGH THESE TOOLS BE AVAILABLE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I MEAN WE KNOW THAT FOR RAMY OZTURK AND MANY OF THE OTHER STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN TARGETED FOR PALESTINE ADVOCACY THAT
THEY HAVE BEEN FLAGGED BY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN TARGETING THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY AND PALESTINE ACTIVIST FOR A LONG TIME. SO IN ONE CASE IT'S SOMETHING CALLED CANARY MISSION THAT
ACTUALLY MAKES PROFILES ABOUT STUDENTS AND THAT WAS HOW I THINK PROMESA WAS TARGETED AND SO THAT DOES ACTUALLY FEEL VERY SIMILAR TO SITE INTELLIGENCE
AND THE WAY THAT YOU KNOW THAT THEIR FOUNDER AND THE ORGANIZATION HAS REALLY HEAVILY FOCUSED ON ON PALESTINE AND THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY INFILTRATING,
YOU KNOW, MOSQUES AND SO ON. BUT WE DON'T KNOW YEAH, WE DON'T KNOW LIKE THE EXACT MECHANISMS FOR HOW YOU KNOW, THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN DOING ALL OF THAT.
BUT CANARY MISSION AND SOME OTHER KIND OF ANTI-PALESTINIAN SITES HAVE BEEN PART OF THAT AND THEN WE KNOW THAT THESE
SITUATION REPORTS THAT BRICK PUTS OUT SOME OF THAT IS GOING TO OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT INCLUDING YES, THE FBI AND ICE LIKE WE KNOW THAT ISIS SIGNED
UP TO RECEIVE EMAILS FROM FROM BRICK. THEY ALSO SEND SOME OF THESE THINGS TO PRIVATE AGENCIES, YOU KNOW, LOCAL UNIVERSITIES, HOSPITALS, REAL ESTATE
COMPANIES LIKE ALL SORTS OF PRIVATE AGENCIES ARE GETTING SOME INFORMATION FROM BRICK. WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHO GETS WHAT BUT IT'S VERY CONCERNING.
I THINK YOU ALL MIGHT REMEMBER THERE WAS LIKE A HOAX KIND OF THAT WENT AROUND ABOUT SOMETHING HAPPENING AT THE SNOW POOR EVENT AND SEAPORT AND IT
WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS A PALESTINE EVENT HAPPENING AND IT SEEMS LIKE BRIK PUT OUT ONE OF THESE REPORTS WARNING PEOPLE
AND THEN PEOPLE TOOK THAT ON TO TO ASSUME THAT THERE WOULD BE A MASS CASUALTY EVENT AND THIS TEXT MESSAGE WAS GOING AROUND SAYING, YOU KNOW, WATCH OUT, DON'T GO TO THIS NO PORT. SO THESE THINGS CAN REALLY
SPIRAL WHETHER IT'S GOING TO FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR OUT TO EVEN PRIVATE AGENCIES TO. OKAY. THANK YOU.
THANKS, CHAIR. THANK YOU. COUNSELOR WEBER, COUNSELOR FLYNN, DO YOU HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS FOR OUR PANEL? YEAH. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR.
AND I KNOW AND I KNOW WE WE SPOKE YOU SPOKE FATMA, ABOUT THE THE MUSLIM THE ANTI-MUSLIM
SENTIMENT THAT THAT IS IN THE IN THE CITY OR IN THE COUNTRY. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF ANTI-SEMITIC ISM AS WELL.
AND THE REASON I BRING THAT UP IN AN ANTI-SEMITISM CRIME. HATE CRIMES AGAINST MUSLIM COUNTRY, JEWISH PEOPLE AGAINST AGAINST IMMIGRANTS. BUT THE REASON I BRING THAT UP
BUT THAT ISN'T THE BRICK ISN'T ISN'T THERE RESPONSE ABILITY TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THESE ISSUES TOO AND TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL
CRIMES THAT COULD HAPPEN SUCH AS A SUCH AS A VIOLENT PROTEST OR A RALLY BE PREPARED FOR IT OR AT LEAST PREPARE THE BOSTON
POLICE FORWARD SO THAT THEY CAN PREVENT SO THAT THEY CAN PREVENT, YOU KNOW, HATE CRIMES AGAINST IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS OR OR AGAINST THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY
AGAINST THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. BUT ISN'T REALLY THAT THE GOAL OF INTELLIGENCE GATHERING AT BOSTON POLICE? I MEAN THAT MIGHT BE WHAT THEY
ARE SAYING IS THE GOAL BUT IN REALITY THEY ARE SURVEILLING MUSLIM AND JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ENGAGING AND ARE, YOU KNOW, FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND FREE SPEECH AND THAT IS
EXTREMELY CONCERNING AND THEY HAVE YOU KNOW, A CLEAR HISTORY OF OF DOING THAT. SO WE YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE NEED TO HAVE AND NOT YOU KNOW, LIKE I DON'T
KNOW WHAT VIOLENCE THEY'RE ACTUALLY PREVENTING IN TERMS OF OUR COMMUNITY BUT I KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITY FEELS VERY TARGETED AND SURVEILLED AND
UNABLE TO EVEN SPEAK OUT OR ATTEND A CITY COUNCIL MEETING GIVEN THAT KIND OF SURVEILLANCE. BUT BUT IS THERE ANOTHER IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO TO SAY
THAT YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE INTELLIGENCE GATHERING SO WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE SECURITY AND SAFETY FOR EVERYBODY FOR
FOR MUSLIMS, FOR JEWISH FOR FOR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS BUT WITH A LOT OF HATE GROUPS IN THE STATE OR IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE
BEEN IN THE CITY AS WELL AND MY DISTRICT. BUT WHY DON'T WE WANT TO KNOW WHEN A HATE GROUP IS COMING INTO DOWNTOWN BOSTON, INTO CHINATOWN AND INTO INTO THE
BACK BAY AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS. SO BOSTON POLICE IS PREPARED TO PREVENT THAT TYPE. THAT'S THAT'S REALLY MY MAIN POINT IS TO PREVENT THAT TYPE
OF VIOLENCE AGAINST ANYONE REALLY. YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY CERTAINLY THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY BUT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND IMMIGRANTS BUT BUT EVERYONE TO PROTECT EVERYBODY THAT'S THAT'S MY
POINT I GUESS. YEAH. I MEAN IF THAT WAS REALLY ALL THEY WERE DOING THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT. BUT WE KNOW THAT YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT WHERE LIKE
ANTIWAR ORGANIZATIONS THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT, OUR ORGANIZATIONS AND I DO KNOW THAT INCIDENT WHERE PATRIOT FRONT SHOWED UP DOWNTOWN AND
ACTUALLY ASSAULTED A BLACK PERSON FROM WHAT WE COULD SEE FROM PICTURES THERE WAS A BRICK AN FBI AGENT DOWNTOWN. LIKE THEY KNEW THAT THAT WAS HAPPENING AND THEY DIDN'T SEEM
TO PREVENT THAT BRICK WAS AROUND AND DIDN'T PREVENT THE MARATHON BOMBING UNFORTUNATELY. SO I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH BRICK IS PAYING ATTENTION TO LIKE
THOSE REALLY CONCERNING THINGS BUT I KNOW THAT THEY'RE PAYING A LOT OF ATTENTION TO US, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE JUST ENGAGING IN LIKE CEASEFIRE VIGILS AND
YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE THAT ARE PROMOTING LIKE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ANTI-VIOLENCE. SO THAT'S YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE
THE CONCERN. WELL, THANK YOU AND MR CHAIR, SO WE I GUESS MY FINAL QUESTION THE COUNCIL IS VOTING ON ON
THIS ON NEXT WEEK IS THAT IS THAT ACCURATE? RIGHT. I'M SORRY. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO THE PANELIST AGAIN.
RIGHT. SO I THINK THAT'S AND EVERYONE SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK BOTH OF YOU FOR ENGAGING AND BEING HERE AND BEING PRESENT AND
ANSWERING ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS AND FOR YOUR ADVOCACY. I WILL NOW GO TO PUBLIC
TESTIMONY AND THE GUEST SO ALL RIGHT. SO I'M ALL FOR THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY. YOU WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH YOU SIGNED UP.
PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO 2 MINUTES AND I WILL GO TO THE PEOPLE THAT I SEE THAT ARE LOGGED IN RIGHT NOW SO WITH US
WE HAVE ELIZABETH VARGAS IF YOU WANT TO START TESTIMONY THAT BE GREAT, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO
ELIZABETH VARGAS AND WE'LL GO TO JULIE BERNSTEIN. ALTHOUGH WITH AN ADLER AND ZOE TO TALK. SO ELIZABETH VARGAS, I SEE YOU WITH US.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. YUP. YOU GOT 2 MINUTES. THANK YOU. YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF BOSTON SINCE 2013 AND STILL AM AND JP
NOW AND HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN ORGANIZING COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS FOR THAT ENTIRE TIME AND OUR PANELISTS HAVE OFFERED ALL OF THE EXPERTISE NECESSARY I THINK FROM THE TECHNICAL AND
THE BIG VIEW PICTURE OF THIS. BUT I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN EVERYDAY LIFE BASED ON THE TOOLS THAT WE KNOW THE BRICK AND BPT ALREADY HAD ACCESS TO OVER ALMOST A DECADE AGO AT
THIS POINT. SO ONE OF MY ROOMMATES SEVERAL YEARS AGO WAS IDENTIFIED AS AN ACTIVIST OF INTEREST CLEARLY BY THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
AND ALSO IN THOSE DETECTIVES AFFILIATED WITH THE BRICK OMAR. THIS ALL CULMINATED I GUESS I'LL START AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY SO AT THE END OF THE STORY WHICH IS THAT SHE WAS ARRESTED IN FRONT OF ME IN
OUR LIVING ROOM AND THROUGH MONTHS OF COURT DATES THAT INCLUDED FEDERAL BOMB AND HIJACK CHARGES, IT BECAME CLEAR THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE BOSTON POLICE DETECTIVES AFFILIATED WITH THE
BRICK THAT THEY HAD BEEN USING OPEN SOURCE SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS AND PRACTICES TO IDENTIFY MY ROOMMATE AS A PERSON OF INTEREST INCLUDING THINGS LIKE IDENTIFYING RAP LYRICS ON
HER PROFILE AS A REASONS THAT SHE MIGHT BE A THREAT. THERE'S A WHOLE PROJECT ABOUT THIS CALLED RAP ON TRIAL WHERE THESE ARE USED IN CRIMINAL CHARGES AS EVIDENCE AND THEY
ALSO USED LIKE A PHOTO THAT WAS POSTED FROM OUR LIVING ROOM TO KIND OF LIKE GEO LOCATE WHERE SHE WAS IN THIS INSTANCE. IT WAS INCREDIBLY TRAUMATIZING ESPECIALLY BECAUSE MY ROOMMATE
HAD BEEN SUBJECT TO A LOT OF POLICE VIOLENCE AND VARIOUS SITUATIONS. IT EVEN RESULTED IN A POLICE OFFICER STOPPING US AT A PROTEST PRIOR TO THE ARREST AS
WE WERE TRYING TO GET INTO A LIFT AND LIFTING HIS SHIRT AND SHOWING US A GUN ON HIS BELT AS WE WERE TRYING TO LEAVE A PEACEFUL PROTEST ON BOSTON COMMON.
THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN IN ABOUT 2018 2019 AND THEN THIS ALL KIND OF CULMINATES SORT OF IN 2018 I SUPPOSE SO IN LATE JULY 2018 BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
DETECTIVES AFFILIATED WITH BRICS SHOWED UP AT OUR FRONT DOOR AND ARRESTED HER IN FRONT OF ME. I STILL WHEN THE DOORBELL RINGS I FEEL NERVOUS. I DON'T WANT TO GO ANSWER THE DOOR.
WHEN I LOOK WHEN I THINK ABOUT LEAVING A PROTEST I LOOK OVER MY SHOULDER MANY TIMES BECAUSE I'M LIKE IS THERE GOING TO BE A MAN WITH A GUN FOLLOWING ME WON'T LIKE BASED ON WHO I'M WITH.
AND I THINK THE LIKE THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME THE PERSON WHO WASN'T EVEN THE TARGET BUT BUT THOSE SCARS ARE LASTING IN MY WHOLE HOUSEHOLD.
AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY CONCERNING IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE KNOW THAT BRICK HAS DHS IS HEAVILY FUNDED BY DHS AND HAS DHS STAFFERS ASSIGNED TO IT AND THEY SHOULD NOT BE
GRANTED FURTHER TOOLS TO GENERATE MORE PRETEXTS FOR ARRESTING OUR NEIGHBORS AND HARASSING OUR NEIGHBORS. WHAT I THINK WE'RE SEEING IS THAT THESE TOOLS ARE NOT GETTING BETTER.
THEY ARE GETTING WIDER AND THEY'RE GETTING MORE ENTRENCHED AND WE MUST IF WE'RE GOING TO STAND AS WE DO AGAINST THE TRUMP'S DOJ AND TRUMP'S MASS DEPORTATION POLICIES AGAINST THE ATTACKS ON LGBTQ PEOPLE AND
THE ATTEMPT TO CRIMINALIZE TRANSGENDER PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR THE SURVEILLANCE OF MUSLIMS OF PALESTINE ACTIVISTS, BLACK PEOPLE AND IMMIGRANTS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE NOT GRANTED FURTHER TOOLS TO GENERATE MORE
PRETEXT TO HARM OUR COMMUNITIES. SO I ENCOURAGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE NO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ELIZABETH.
JULIE BERNSTEIN AFTER JULIE WILL GO WITH CARSON ADLER ZOE
WE DO AND COREY GILES GREAT TO SEE BOTH OF YOU JULIE BY TO
TALK SHOW WITH US. SO HOW ABOUT WE GO WITH OTHER YOU CAN GO AND THEN IF JULIE GOINS WE'LL TAKE HER AFTERWARDS. SOUNDS GOOD AND THANK YOU FOR
READING. YES. SO MY NAME IS TOSHA ADLER. I'M A STUDENT AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY. AND FIRST I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I'VE COME TO THIS MEETING TO EXPRESS MY BELIEF THAT SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEILLANCE IS AN OVERREACH AND IT DISCOURAGES STUDENTS FROM EXERCISING FREEDOM OF SPEECH. HISTORICALLY WE'VE HEARD A LOT
ABOUT HOW SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEILLANCE TOOLS HAVE BEEN MISUSED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO SCRUTINIZE MEMBERS OF CAPITOL POLICE FOR POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS.
AND I FEAR THAT THE INFORMATION THAT THIS TOOL WOULD BE USED TO COLLECT AGAINST EVERYDAY RESIDENTS MIGHT BE USED TO TARGET OUR MOST HONORABLE NON-CITIZENS AND THOSE WHO
SPEAK OUT AGAINST FEDERAL POLICIES AND HOMELESS PEOPLE. THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY TRIED YOU KNOW, DID DEPORTING ROMI SO BECAUSE OF AN OPINION
PIECE AND HAS BEEN TRYING TO IDENTIFY HOMELESS PEOPLE WHO ARE MENTALLY ILL AND WE SHOULD EXPECT THAT SOCIAL MEDIA DATA THAT IS COLLECTED BY BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE USED
BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY. I HAVE BEEN LISTENING HERE TO THE FEARS OF MY FELLOW STUDENTS. FELLOW DOMESTIC STUDENTS HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERN THAT THE INFORMATION COLLECTED ABOUT
THEIR POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA COULD BE USED TO DENY THEM OPPORTUNITIES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ARE EVEN MORE SCARED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO CONTEND WITH THE
POSSIBILITY THAT THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE COULD BE USED AS AN EXCUSE TO TERMINATE THE STUDENT VISA. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY CHOOSE NOT TO EXPRESS THEIR OPINION BECAUSE THEY'RE SCARED THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE OUT ON EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES. I THINK THAT ANY TOOL THAT HAS THE EFFECT OF CHILLING FREE SPEECH IS A FORM OF CENSORSHIP EVEN IF IT'S NOT INTENDED TO BE. AND CONSIDERING THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE WE SHOULD NOT
BE COLLECTING OR STORING ANY DATA THAT COULD BE MISUSED BY A DISHONEST ACTOR. BOSTON IS A CITY THAT STANDS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND SO I THINK IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO COLLECT LESS DATA AND JUST CONTINUE METHODS OF SURVEILLANCE THAT
COULD BE ACCESSED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR BY OTHER STATES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. LIKE SOMEBODY I WAS ONLY TOO CAUGHT UP IN COLLEGE JONES IT'S
SLOWLY ON TOGETHER. HELLO, MY NAME IS ZOE TICWATCH . I'M A JEWISH RESIDENT
OF MEDFORD RIGHT NOW BUT I WAS BORN IN CAMBRIDGE. I'VE LIVED IN BOSTON, BROOKLINE AND SURROUNDING AREA MY WHOLE
LIFE AND I WORK IN DOWNTOWN BOSTON AS AND AS A JEWISH MEMBER OF THE BOSTON COMMUNITY I STRICTLY OPPOSE THE USE
OF SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEILLANCE TOOLS BY POLICE. THE BRICK SURVEILLANCE ENDANGERS LAWFUL PROTESTORS, IMMIGRANTS AND ANYONE IN A VULNERABLE COMMUNITY WHO CAN BE
IDENTIFIED AND TARGETED TO END THIS INVASIVE DATA GATHERING. I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT BRICK COLLABORATION WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DESPITE BOSTON'S SANCTUARY CITY STATUS DO NOT
ALLOW BPD AND BRICK TO INCREASE SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEILLANCE YOU SHOULD SUSPEND LIMIT BAND DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE TOOLS LIKE SIGHT COURSE AND TINGLES I
ESPECIALLY IS POISON TO ACCOUNTABLE CITY TRANSPARENCY AND TRUTH GET OUT OF POLICING GET IT OUT OF GOVERNMENT. IT HAS NO PLACE IT CANNOT BE
HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND MUST NOT MAKE DECISIONS. WE DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN A DIGITAL PANOPTICON OUR RIGHT TO PEACEABLY ASSEMBLE SHOULD BE CELEBRATED, NOT MONITORED, CHILLED AND INTIMIDATED OUT
OF EXISTENCE. IT IS DISCRIMINATORY AND UNLAWFUL AND DANGEROUS TO PROFILE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS ON THE BASIS OF RELIGION AND RACE OR TO ASSIGN LEGAL AND POTENTIALLY
CRIMINAL CONSEQUENCES TO CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED SPEECH. THE BRICK AND PPD HAVE VIOLATED OUR RIGHTS AND THEY MUST BE BARRED FROM DOING SO AGAIN NOT
GIVEN FURTHER ACCESS TO INVASIVE SURVEILLANCE TOOLS PLEASE VOTE NO AND JUST AS FURTHER COMMENT BECAUSE IT WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER I DESPISE
HOW THE JEWISH COMMUNITY HOW MY COMMUNITY IS USED AS A POLITICAL FOOTBALL TO EXCUSE FURTHER INVASIONS ON OUR RIGHTS
AND TO ATTACK OTHER MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. THIS IS THIS IS A DANGER THAT HAS EXISTED FOR A LONG TIME NOW AN ORGANIZATION LIKE BRICK DO
NOT PROTECT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. INCREASED SURVEILLANCE DOES NOT PROTECT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND IT NEVER HAS.
AS FOR HOW IT HAS HARMED PEOPLE ,I CAN SAY RIGHT NOW I AM PART OF MY LOCAL LOUIJEUNE NETWORK. I SWATCH I AM IN THE ANNOUNCEMENTS WHATSAPP GROUP
THAT RECEIVES NOTIFICATIONS OF VERIFIED REPORTS OF ICE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND I HAVE A FRIEND WHO IS A LEGAL IMMIGRANT AND HE IS NOT HE DOES NOT FEEL
SAFE JOINING THAT GROUP I OFFERED TO ADD HIM TO THE GROUP AND HE SAID NO BECAUSE HE WAS SCARED THAT EVEN BEING IN AN ANONYMOUS WHATSAPP GROUP HIS DIGITAL TRACE WOULD BE
MONITORED, REPORTED AND USED AGAINST HIM EVEN THOUGH HE HAS LEGAL STATUS. THIS IS IT'S UNSAFE. IT HURTS OUR COMMUNITIES. IT HURTS US.
JUST STOP. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TRUST BUILDING. WE DO SEE THAT WE HAVE JULIE
WITH US SO I'LL GO BACK TO JULIE NOW AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COREY JONES. WHY I WAS NOT ACTUALLY INTENDING TO TESTIFY AND I THE ONLY WAY I COULD LINK TO THE GET TO THE HEARING WAS VIA THE
ZOOM LINK BECAUSE THE LIVESTREAM WASN'T WORKING. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I THINK THAT THE PROBLEM HERE IS THAT YOU WERE GIVEN THE CHOICE TO EITHER TO EITHER CERTIFY
THIS TECHNOLOGY OR NOT. YOU'RE NOT GIVEN THE CHOICE TO SET GUARDRAILS THE GUARDRAILS WOULD BE DO NOT USE THIS AS THE BASIS FOR ACTING OR FOR SENDING
POLICE OUT UNLESS THERE IS A CLEAR CREDIBLE THREAT THAT HAS BEEN VERBALIZED AND THAT'S NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING. IT'S CLEARLY JUST BEING USED
FOR EXAMPLE AT THAT CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO HAVE A HUGE POLICE PRESENCE IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY REAL, REAL REAL THREAT.
AND SO THE PROBLEM IS IS SINCE YOU DO NOT HAVE THE MECHANISM TO CONSTRAIN THIS TECHNOLOGY AND TO DEMAND THAT CERTAIN STANDARDS BE MET BEFORE ACTION
IS TAKEN ON THE BASIS OF SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, YOU ONLY HAVE ONE OTHER CHOICE AND THAT IS TO COMPLETELY BAN THE USE OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND UNTIL SUCH TIME
THAT YOU CAN MODIFY THE SURVEILLANCE ORDINANCE TO ALLOW YOU TO ESTABLISH GUARDRAILS TO PROHIBIT THE ABUSE THEREFORE WE
ALL HAVE TO RECOMMEND THAT YOU ABANDON WHERE THAT THAT BRICK ABANDONS A POTENTIALLY USEFUL TOOL. AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THIS IS A TERRIBLE THING BECAUSE IF FOR
EXAMPLE WHEN THEY DID RECEIVE NOTIFICATION THAT PATRIOT FRONT WOULD BE DEMONSTRATING AND THEY NO PATRIOT FRONT HAS BEEN A VIOLENT ORGANIZATION IF THEY
PUT THEIR FOCUS ON INFORMATION LIKE THAT AS OPPOSED TO DOING THIS EXTENSIVE SEARCHING OF SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE A LOT OF THE INFORMATION IS IN FACT
ALMOST CREATED OUT OF THIN AIR, OUT OF ON THE BASIS OF ALGORITHMS THAT THEIR ENERGY WOULD BE MUCH BETTER PLACED AND OUR SAFETY WOULD BE PROTECTED
BETTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JULIE. IT SO WE HAVE COREY JONES.
HELLO. THANK YOU CHAIRMAN. I WOULD LIKE TO JUST SAY I DO NOT THINK THE AI HAS A PLACE IN
POLICING. IT CANNOT EVEN RELIABLY SAY THE AMOUNT OF LETTER THE AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT ARE IN THE WORD STRAWBERRY RELIABLY. SO I DO NOT THINK THAT IF A
THING CANNOT NOT COUNT PROPERLY THEN IT SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT MUCH POWER. IT IS CONSISTENTLY UNRELIABLE. I'M ANOTHER THING AS WELL I AM
FROM A HOMETOWN WHERE WELL MY HOMETOWN RECENTLY HAD A PERSON EXECUTED ON THE STREETS BY POLICE BRUTALITY BY SEVEN
POLICE OFFICERS AND IF THERE IS GOING TO BE AI SYSTEMS TO INCLUDE THINGS SUCH AS PROBABLE CAUSE AS A MEANS TO EXECUTION
AS THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT OF POLICE BRUTALITY ACROSS THIS COUNTRY. UNFORTUNATELY THEN I QUESTION WHY THAT WOULD BY SOME I WOULD
BE ALLOWED TO DICTATE SOMEONE'S LIFE LIKE THAT. LASTLY AND I APOLOGIZE I DO NOT KNOW THE COUNSELOR'S NAME THE
COUNSELOR CURRENTLY HAS THEIR NAME AS I HAD ON ZOOM I BELIEVE IT'S COUNSELOR F THAT'S ALL THAT I GOT. I APOLOGIZE. I DO NOT KNOW YOUR OLD NAME. YOU WERE TALKING WITH THE
PANELISTS ABOUT HOW THE HOW YOU SHOULD GIVE UP SAFETY IN ORDER YOU SHOULD GIVE UP YOUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH THAT WE ARE CONSTITUTIONALLY GIVEN IN ORDER
TO BE GIVEN SAFETY. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, ONE OF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS, HAS A FAMOUS QUOTE THAT SAYS THOSE WHO WOULD GIVE UP THE ESSENTIAL LIBERTY TO PURCHASING LITTLE TEMPORARY SAFETY DESERVE NEITHER LIBERTY
NOR SAFETY. WITH THAT I WILL LEAVE. I URGE EVERYONE TO VOTE NO. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR.
I NEVER I NEVER SAID THAT BUT I PLAN TO CARRY. I BELIEVE WE DID HAVE OTHERS
BUT THEY MAY HAVE LOGGED OFF. ALL RIGHT. I ALSO KNOW THAT I ENCOURAGE COUNSELORS WE DID RECEIVE MULTIPLE WRITTEN TESTIMONY AND IT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO OUR
COUNSELORS. I KNOW THAT IT'S LATE AUGUST AND HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN JOIN US. SO JUST REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE LIKE HOUSEWIFE
COLLEAGUES TO READ ON THE TESTIMONY THAT WERE ON HAND TO US AND SEEK COUNCILOR FOR THE OTHER END UP. YEAH. YEAH. MR CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING ME.
BUT THE LAST PERSON THAT TESTIFIED I NEVER I NEVER SAID THAT. I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT BUT THAT PERSON CAME UP WITH THAT COMMENT. IF YOU GO BACK TO AND REVIEW MY
STATEMENT AND MY QUESTIONS I NEVER REFERENCE THAT AT ALL. SO I JUST WAS TAKEN ABACK BY THAT COMMENT AND I ASKED RESPECTFUL QUESTIONS TO THE
PANELIST AND EVEN EVEN THE PANELISTS WILL PROBABLY AGREE THAT I NEVER I NEVER SET OUT. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THE RECORD CLEAR THAT THAT WAS AN INACCURATE STATEMENT THAT I'M
I'M DISAPPOINTED IN THAT. THANK YOU, MR CHAIRMAN. GREAT. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR FLYNN. WHEN I USUALLY PUBLIC TESTIMONY
IT'S NOT THERE'S NOT A BACK AND FORTH IS WE GIVE COUNSELORS TIME AND WE GIVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY THEIR TIME TO SAY THEIR STATEMENT SO. OKAY. OKAY, GREAT.
SO THERE'S ANY ANYTHING WE WOULD HAVE ANYONE ELSE ON HERE SO WE WOULD REALLY WANT TO THANK OUR PANELISTS FOR BEING WITH US TODAY. I'M REALLY, REALLY INSIGHTFUL
CONVERSATION. ONE THING MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES WERE PARTICIPATING IN ASKING AND RAISING PRESENCE AS WELL AND WHAT I THINK ESPECIALLY YOU KNOW, OUR PEOPLE WHO CAME IN PUBLIC TESTIFIED JUST REALLY
APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S ENGAGEMENT SO WITH THAT THIS HEARING ON DOCKET NUMBER 1356 AND DOCKET NUMBER 1357 IS ADJOURNED. THANK Y