New York City Mayor criticizes Madison Square Garden surveillance practices
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has voiced opposition to the use of biometric surveillance at Madison Square Garden, supporting legislative efforts to curb facial recognition in the city.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has publicly criticized the owner of Madison Square Garden (MSG), James Dolan, regarding the company’s extensive reliance on surveillance technology. During a recent interview, Mamdani described the deployment of facial scanning and biometric tracking at entertainment venues as a symptom of broader societal issues, signaling his support for City Council legislation aimed at banning biometric data collection in public spaces.
This criticism follows extensive reporting detailing how MSG uses facial recognition to monitor patrons. Investigations have uncovered that the company maintains a database which reportedly includes internal tags for visitors’ sexual orientation. The venue has previously faced public scrutiny for using these systems to deny entry to individuals identified as being associated with law firms currently in litigation with the company.
While New York City law currently requires businesses to disclose the collection of biometric data, the practices at MSG have fueled a growing debate over privacy rights and the unchecked use of AI-driven surveillance in commercial settings. MSG representatives have not responded to requests for comment regarding the mayor’s recent statements.