How High Tech Tools Profile Police And Punish The Poor

In the wake of the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the subsequent protests and riots, there has been a growing debate about the militarization of police and the use of high-tech surveillance technologies. These technologies, which include body cameras, facial recognition software, and predictive policing algorithms, are increasingly being used to profile and punish the poor.

Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor

by Virginia Eubanks

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	5634 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray for textbooks	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	283 pages
Screen Reader	:	Supported

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In her new book, The End of Policing, Alex S. Vitale argues that these technologies are part of a larger trend toward the criminalization of poverty. She writes that "the poor are increasingly being targeted for surveillance, arrest, and punishment, not because they are more likely to commit crimes, but because they are more likely to be poor."

Vitale provides numerous examples of how high-tech tools are being used to target the poor. In Chicago, for example, the police have used facial recognition software to identify and track homeless people. In New York City, the police have used predictive policing algorithms to identify and target people who are likely to commit crimes. And in Los Angeles, the police have used body cameras to record interactions with the public, including homeless people.

These technologies are not only ineffective, they are also dangerous. Facial recognition software, for example, has been shown to be biased against people of color. Predictive policing algorithms have been shown to be no more accurate than random chance. And body cameras have been shown to increase the likelihood of police violence.

The use of high-tech tools to profile and punish the poor is a violation of our civil rights. It is also a threat to our democracy. When the police are able to track our every move and predict our future behavior, we are all less free.

We need to put an end to the use of high-tech tools to target the poor. We need to demand that our elected officials invest in programs that address the root causes of poverty, such as affordable housing, education, and healthcare.

We need to build a society where everyone is treated fairly, regardless of their income or background. We need to end the era of mass surveillance and criminalization, and we need to start building a more just world.

Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor

by Virginia Eubanks

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	5634 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray for textbooks	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	283 pages
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE