This panel explores
the legal and policy debates surrounding surveillance and its impact on civil
rights and civil liberties. In particular, the panel examines whether
technology is a “race-neutral” tool that mitigates the risk of racial and
religious profiling. On the one hand, proponents of digital watch listing and
database screening systems proffer such data surveillance methods can
algorithmically inform investigatory actions in ways that maximize accuracy and
minimize physical intrusions. Mass tracking and bulk data collection allegedly
increase the objectivity and efficiency of counterterrorism efforts. In
addition, big data has been hailed for its potential exonerating benefits
through biometric databases and DNA evidence. On the other hand, experts, civil
rights lawyers, and scholars have increasingly critiqued the manner in which
“new school” policing methods can enhance “old school” discrimination and
exacerbate implicit biases. Those challenging modern surveillance programs
allege that algorithmic-derived targeting and classification based on
suspicious digital data may serve as a proxy for classification on the basis of
race, color, ethnicity, and religion. Accordingly, this timely panel also
explores how surveillance may be conducted in ways that disparately impact
minority communities.
Business
meeting held during the Minority Groups Luncheon.