NYPD Demands NHL and NBA Discipline Jame Dolan for Using Facial Recognition
Manhattan elected official demands sanction of NBA and NHL Madison Square Garden CEO James Dolan. for his “outrageous use of facial recognition technology” to ban people he doesn’t like from events.
“I recognize that facial recognition software can help secure large venues, but Mr. Dolan has abused this technology to fuel his personal vendettas, not to make games more secure,” wrote State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal. it’s a statement. January 27 letter to the commissioners of the NBA and NHL.
“I implore both of your organizations to use their power and discipline MSG and Mr. Dolan for these alarming abuses, unless they immediately stop profiling fans with facial recognition technology for non-security purposes,” he added. .
The letter notes that league rules allow NBA commissioner Adam Silver to suspend or fine Dolan up to $1 million, while NHL commissioner Gary Bettman could take similar steps.
An NHL spokesman declined to comment, while an NBA representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
Dolan has faced a cascade of criticism about implementing facial recognition software to identify and remove lawyers who have MSG and Radio City Music Hall tickets just because they work for firms linked to litigation against the company.
A The MSG representative later canceled the invitation of Assemblyman Tony Simon (D-Manhattan) from an NHL Pride event after joining other politicians, including Hoylman-Sigal, at a news conference earlier this year.
“That is dystopian. How would you know if other corporate leaders won’t start using this? How do we know if they are already using it? Let’s go,” Simone told The Post last week.
“They’re being extremely aggressive and saying, ‘We’re going to take away your liquor license,’” Dolan said of the SLA during an appearance on “Good Day New York” on Fox 5.
Dolan defended the use of such technology. in a much-criticized television interview on Thursday, where he threatened to refer alcohol-deprived Rangers fans to the State Liquor Authority after they questioned the policy.
So I have a little surprise for them. They’re basically doing this for publicity, so we’ll give them some publicity. What we’re going to do, okay, is pick a night, maybe a Rangers game, and shut down all the liquor and alcohol in the building. This is not going to bother me because I’ve been sober 29 years. I don’t need the liquor,” he added.
An MSG spokesperson did not immediately provide comment on the latest shooting by elected officials outraged by facial recognition policies that state Attorney General Letitia James says could violate state anti-discrimination laws.
Elected leaders, some of whom have state sponsored legislation to ban the policythey have also questioned why MSG should continue to receive state tax breaks or renew a key city permit this year, allowing the venue to seat large crowds, if Dolan does not rescind the controversial policy targeting his alleged legal enemies.
And Hoylman-Sigal noted Friday that Dolan has a history of taking aim at critics such as filmmaker Spike Lee and Knicks legend Charles Oakley, even without resorting to facial recognition technology, while urging the NBA and NHL to discipline to Dolan.
“Mr. Dolan has even extended these retaliatory actions to fans, verbally confronting a season ticket holder and threatening to expel another spectator just for yelling ‘sell the team’ at a game,” the letter reads.