Mayor Adams Extends Big Apple Connect, Sparking Surveillance Concerns
Mayor Eric Adams has extended the Big Apple Connect program, providing free internet to 330,000 public housing residents. However, his decision to do so before a City Council hearing on the program's surveillance expansion has sparked criticism.
Adams' announcement did not mention the video surveillance component of the program, which links public housing cameras to the NYPD's Domain Awareness System. This system uses facial recognition tools and predictive policing methods, and the NYPD has been using Big Apple Connect for live video surveillance at NYCHA developments without public disclosure.
The City Council is set to hold a hearing on the program's surveillance expansion the day after Adams' announcement. Councilmembers are critical of Adams' decision-making process, with some calling it disrespectful and an attempt to undermine Council oversight. Despite this, the Council may not have the power to intervene in the extension.
The extension of Big Apple Connect locks the city into a specific broadband approach, differing from former Mayor de Blasio's Internet Master Plan. It will cost the next mayor approximately $114 million over three years. As of October 2025, no new mayor has been elected yet in New York City, with the next election scheduled for November 4, 2025. The current top candidates are Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa, with Mamdani leading in polls. There is no public statement or action known from Mamdani regarding the possible extension of Big Apple Connect as of now.
The extension of the Big Apple Connect program has raised concerns about surveillance expansion and decision-making processes. The City Council will discuss these issues at an upcoming hearing, but its ability to intervene in the extension remains uncertain. The financial implications of the extension will fall to the next mayor, who has yet to be elected.
Read also:
- Minimal Essential Synthetic Intelligences Enterprise: Essential Minimum Agents
- Tesla is reportedly staying away from the solid-state battery trend, as suggested by indications from CATL and Panasonic.
- UK automaker, Jaguar Land Rover, to commit £500 million for electric vehicle manufacturing in Merseyside
- Fast-food chain Subway joins the trend of plant-based alternatives, introducing a Beyond Meat meatball sub.
