Security robots are mobile surveillance devices, not human replacements

guest · Nov 15, 2019

Security robots are mobile surveillance devices, not human replacements
They’re scooping up data, from facial scans to license plates
November 14, 2019
https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/14...s-facial-recognition-numberplate-mobile-phone

Security robots are slowly becoming a more common sight in malls, offices, and public spaces. But while these bots are often presented as replacements for human security guards — friendly robots on patrol — they’re collecting far more data than humans could, suggesting they’re more like mobile surveillance machines than conventional guards.

A new report from OneZero sheds some light on the scope of the data collection, featuring marketing material and contracts between Knightscope and various city councils.
It’s the sort of constant low-level surveillance that only a machine can perform.

As an internal report by California’s Huntington Park Police Department (HPPD) published by MuckRock back in August noted, “Knightscope’s secret to the K5 robot is simply sensors — lots of them.”
The report from the HPPD notes that the robots can identify nearby smartphones over an unknown range, recording their MAC and IP addresses. In Knightscope marketing material published by OneZero, this is a central part of the company’s sales pitch [...]
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Scanning phones is a subtle form of surveillance with a far-reaching impact. It’s not as invasive as identifying someone by name, but it can be a rich source of information, telling you a lot about someone’s daily routine, like how often they visit a certain area and how long they stay there.
It’s a job these robots are well-suited to. They’re dogged and consistent, with the patience of a machine. They can run 24 hours a day [...]

So what are they good for? Knightscope maintains that its robots are essentially supplementary devices, meant to compensate for a lack of personnel, to spot trouble and call the police. But in an age when automated systems are replacing humans in more and more fields (think: algorithms making decisions in areas like hiring and benefits), it’s likely they’ll gradually take on a more prominent role, leaning on their surveillance skills.
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Huntington Park’s new “RoboCop” stores pedestrians’ faces, scans license plates, and costs $8,000 a month to run

Interestingly enough, the HPPD goes further, and makes the claim that the K5 is a “fully autonomous security data machine” that can actually “differentiate between a harmless passer-by and potential criminal.”

As for how the K5 does that, the HPPD points to the robot’s many, many sensors, which are apparently capable of detecting faces, license plates, and even smartphones. Said faces, license plates, and smartphones can then be run against a “blacklist,” which would send an alert to the HPPD.
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Here’s How Knightscope’s Security Robots Surveil the Public

OneZero has obtained a previously unreported Knightscope presentation that shows just how much data Knightscope robots can collect.
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