Overview Montgomery County has recently introduced two technology-driven public safety initiatives: the Parker security robot, deployed in 2025 as a pilot program in the Silver Spring Town Square garage, and the Drone as First Responder (DFR) program operated by Montgomery County Police, which launched in November 2023. These programs raise governance questions regarding transparency, data collection, public oversight, and the long-term expansion of digital surveillance infrastructure. Update (2026): The Parker security robot deployed in the […]
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The International Declaration on the Human Rights of Children in the Digital Age: Invitation to sign.
Invitation (November 2023): This post invited readers to review and consider signing an international declaration addressing children’s rights in digital environments. Please consider signing and sharing (ASAP) The International Declaration on the Human Rights of Children in the Digital Age. https://www.thechildrensdeclaration.org/The Declaration will be delivered in person to the United Nations on World Children’s Day, November 20, 2023. We encourage everyone to sign but will be highlighting to the United Nations the legal, health, and scientific experts, […]
Continue readingMCPS Students’ Personal Data Is Used for Race-based Profiling & Profits
Dear Parents/Guardians/Students, 5 years ago, local parents discovered something fishy about Naviance, the online college and career readiness platform MCPS kids use starting in 6th grade: Naviance profiles kids using their personal information (yours, too) and sells it. We brought this to the attention of MCPS. Repeatedly. Meeting after meeting, nothing happened. Now the nation knows, thanks to a 1/22/22 investigative report in The Markup. Schools in Europe, where privacy laws are much stricter, replaced […]
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