New York City’s Mamdani criticizes Madison Square Garden owner over surveillance tech

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Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani has criticized the owner of Madison Square Garden, one of the city’s largest entertainment venues, arguing that the company’s surveillance technology should not be allowed.

Mamdani told Wired in an interview on Tuesday that surveillance technologies are “indicative of much that is wrong in our country today.” He added that City Council member Shahana Hanif introduced two pieces of local legislation aimed at banning the collection of biometric data, such as using facial recognition, in public places across the city. Mamdani said that the draft legislation is “an important response to this kind of an issue.”

The comments come after a stream of reporting from Wired detailing how Madison Square Garden’s owner James Dolan relies on surveillance cameras and face-scanning technology to track people across and outside of its venues. 

In one report, Wired revealed that Dolan’s company keeps a database that, among other things, marks some visitors, including celebrity performers, as “LGBTQIA,” for reasons that are unclear. Dolan subsequently sued Wired over its reporting.

In 2021, MSG made headlines after a woman was banned from Radio City, another Dolan-owned venue, after being recognized by facial recognition systems as an attorney at a law firm who was suing Dolan’s company but was not involved in the litigation.

When reached by TechCrunch, Madison Square Garden spokesperson Mikyl Cordova said: “Wired’s reporting is inaccurate and false. MSG is pursuing legal remedies,” without providing evidence for its claim.

Since 2021, New York City has required businesses to disclose when they are collecting biometric data from visitors.