Surveillance technology seen worsening US eviction crisis

A file photo of housing activists protesting evictions in Swampscott, Massachusetts. A moratorium put in place by the Centers for Disease Control in September that protects certain renters from eviction expires at the end of the year. — AP

WASHINGTON: Increased use of surveillance technologies by landlords across the United States could worsen a looming eviction crisis amid the coronavirus pandemic, researchers and renters warned on Dec 14.

Speaking on a webinar, tenants and tech experts detailed the use of cameras, facial-recognition scanners and license plate readers, which they said were routinely deployed without residents’ consent or any explanation as to how their data is used.