EFFecting Digital Freedom

by Jason Kelley

Killer Robots Are Coming, But We Can Stop Them

San Francisco is known worldwide as a (((progressive))) city, but those values were put to the test recently when the San Francisco Police Department tried to pass a new policy that would give them permission to use manually-controlled robots equipped with explosives.  By the time most of the city heard about this, it seemed almost too late: the city's supervisors voted 8-3 to allow the policy on its first reading.

We scrambled into action, because the policy needed to pass its second reading as well.  The "killer robots" were covered by news outlets around the globe, for good reason: militarization of police has been a longstanding problem, but something about attaching weapons to robots that were originally created for disarming bombs and sending them into a California city of 800,000 didn't sit right with most people who heard about it.  The world was watching to see if a diverse and politically lively city would allow its police to kill with robots.

In just a week, activists and residents across the Bay Area worked together, made their voices heard, and even staged a rally early on a Monday morning.  Thanks to their hard work, and the hard work of city leaders who never backed down on this issue (Supervisors Preston, Rosen, and Board President Walton), there was a stunning reversal on the policy's second reading: the San Francisco Board of Supervisors banned the SFPD from using deadly force with remote-controlled robots, by the same 8-3 vote that initially passed the policy.

The fight isn't over in San Francisco.  The board sent the killer robot policy back to its Rules Committee for revisions and more public comment, and it could be taken up again in the future.  But in one week, San Francisco and the greater Bay Area rallied, and that rallying cry was so loud and undeniable that it was impossible for the board, and the world, to ignore.

This battle is part of a history of militarization of law enforcement, and a sign of things to come.  The weapons of the United States military - drones, mobile command centers, sound cannons, and more - have already been handed off to local law enforcement for years.  The transfers have equipped police departments with the ability to redirect surveillance tools and the weapons of war designed for foreign adversaries toward often-faultless targets in U.S. cities.

More and more dangerous surveillance technology and military-style equipment is coming down the line - whether it's robots and drones manually controlled by law enforcement operators, or automated robots like the Knightscope variety of autonomous rolling machines.  The slope is slippery, and we've been sliding down it for a longtime.  Knightscope robots are already patrolling our streets, parks, malls, and grocery stores.  ShotSpotter's high-powered microphones that purport to detect and triangulate gunshots in order to alert police have been in use for years, despite their inaccuracy.  Now, the company has said they are teaming up with a drone company to dispatch autonomous drones to fly automatically to the presumed site of gunfire.

But with the battle over killer robots, we have seen that there is a line that people do not want police to cross.  Law enforcement agencies will want to cross that line, as they did in San Francisco, and we can stop them and, with work, even roll back some of the dangerous, ineffective, and overused surveillance technology and military weaponry that have been in place for years now.  If you consider yourself part of the fight for digital rights, this is one of the next frontiers.

What can you do to help?  For starters, push for transparency laws around police use of technology, and processes for community input and control.  California is unique in having recently passed a law, A.B. 481, that requires democratic control of whether California state or local law enforcement agencies can obtain or use military-grade tools, whether they are received from the federal government, purchased, or utilized via some other channel.  Through their elected officials, the public can say "no" to military surveillance and other technology, and it won't be allowed to come to town.

This is the sort of law that just makes sense - it's important for there to be more transparency into law enforcement practices, and for communities to have democratic control of surplus military transfers, particularly for high-tech surveillance equipment.  The law was modeled on Community Control of Police Surveillance (CCOPS) laws adopted in over a dozen communities across the country.  Most law enforcement agencies around the country don't have to go through a policy proposal process to obtain permission to use killer robots, but those laws can be implemented in any city around the country.  And if you're in California, you have at least two agencies currently going through an A.B. 481 process - your local police and sheriff - that you can follow.

Second, continue to push back against surveillance tech in the hands of police by educating yourself and others about it.  Our street-level surveillance website shines a light on the advanced surveillance technologies that law enforcement agencies routinely deploy in our communities.  These resources are designed for members of the public, advocacy organizations, journalists, defense attorneys, and policymakers who often are not getting the straight story from police representatives or the vendors marketing this equipment.

Third - and this may be the easiest way to help - make sure you understand what's happening in your community.  Usually, records are out there in the form of news stories, social media posts, press releases, or documents buried in government websites, about what equipment law enforcement and city officials are using in your area.  Our atlas of surveillance project collects much of this information, but it's a big task and represents only what our team documented after a year and a half of research.  You can always volunteer to help by sending a message to info@eff.org.

This moment is a turning point for pushing back on the use of dangerous technology by police.  We hope you'll join us in making sure that killer robots never come to the town where you live - or anywhere.