The ACLU of Massachusetts has launched a legal toolkit designed to help defence lawyers expose covert police surveillance technologies used in criminal cases. Distributed through a password-protected library for verified defence attorneys, the toolkit contains legal motions compelling prosecutors to reveal whether tools such as facial recognition, artificial intelligence-drafted police reports, phone trackers, and car forensic tools were deployed. The filings rely on a 1963 rule of American criminal law requiring prosecutors to disclose evidence that could help the defence, while also demanding that government agencies and private vendors preserve data before it is deleted. The project aims to counter a chronic lag between law enforcement adopting new technologies and courts ruling on their legality. Alongside this courtroom strategy, the civil liberties organisation is pressuring cities to abandon unregulated systems such as the Flock licence plate reader network and the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system.

Background: Surveillance and Smart Cities

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