New York City's Mamdani criticizes Madison Square Garden owner over surveillance tech
News Source
β’Tue, 03 Nov 2026 16:04:55 +0000
π° What Happened
New York's new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has criticised the owner of Madison Square Garden over its use of surveillance technology. He spoke to Wired magazine on Tuesday.
Mamdani said such technology shows much of what is wrong in the country today. City council member Shahana Hanif has put forward two bills to ban collecting body data, such as face scans, in public places.
The row follows Wired reports that James Dolan's company uses cameras and face scanning to track visitors. One report said a database marked some guests, including performers, as LGBTQIA.
π The Backstory
Madison Square Garden and Radio City are among New York's best-known venues. Their owner also runs the Knicks and Rangers sports teams.
In 2021, a lawyer was stopped from entering Radio City. Cameras matched her face to a firm that was suing the company, though she was not part of that case.
Dolan has sued Wired over its reporting and says the stories are false. New York has some rules on body data but no citywide ban in public places.
π― Why It Matters
Face scans at concerts and sports games touch the privacy of millions of visitors. The fight will help decide how far such tools can go.
New York's new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has criticised the owner of Madison Square Garden over its use of surveillance technology. He spoke to Wired magazine on Tuesday.
Mamdani said such technology shows much of what is wrong in the country today. City council member Shahana Hanif has put forward two bills to ban collecting body data, such as face scans, in public places.
The row follows Wired reports that James Dolan's company uses cameras and face scanning to track visitors. One report said a database marked some guests, including performers, as LGBTQIA.
Madison Square Garden and Radio City are among New York's best-known venues. Their owner also runs the Knicks and Rangers sports teams.
In 2021, a lawyer was stopped from entering Radio City. Cameras matched her face to a firm that was suing the company, though she was not part of that case.
Dolan has sued Wired over its reporting and says the stories are false. New York has some rules on body data but no citywide ban in public places.
Face scans at concerts and sports games touch the privacy of millions of visitors. The fight will help decide how far such tools can go.