Andrew Guthrie Ferguson
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profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson
@profferguson.bsky.social
9.4K followers 2.8K following 420 posts

Law Prof. GWU, Tech & Justice. Author: “Your Data Will Be Used Against You,” “The Rise of Big Data Policing,” “Why Jury Duty Matters,” and “The Law of Law School.”

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Andrew Guthrie Ferguson is a professor of law at American University Washington College of Law.

Source: Wikipedia
Law 32%
Political science 29%
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profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 18h
@nilsgilman.bsky.social

Interesting piece about a legal privilege for AI communications. In my forthcoming book, I propose a broader legal privilege for digital communications (not just AI).

Doctors, Lawyers and Priests Keep Secrets. Why Not Your Chatbot? www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/o...
Opinion | Doctors, Lawyers and Priests Keep Secrets. Why Not Your Chatbot?
www.nytimes.com

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 4d
Anyone know if this is true? 75 years seems pretty long for any evidence retention.

“DHS requires evidentiary data to be held for 75 years, potentially evidentiary data for three years and non-evidentiary data for 180 days.”

www.politico.com/sponsored/20...
Sponsored Content: Body-Worn Cameras Build Transparency and Trust for Law Enforcement Across the Nation
Sponsored Content: Body-Worn Cameras Build Transparency and Trust for Law Enforcement Across the Nation
www.politico.com

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 5d
www.wired.com/story/welcom...
Zohran Mamdani Just Inherited the NYPD Surveillance State
In addition to affordability, New York City’s mayor-elect will be forced to reckon with the NYPD’s sweeping mass surveillance operations.
www.wired.com

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 7d
Thank you for your poetic blurb. And as you wait to buy my book in March you should all read “Police and the Empire City.”
mguariglia.bsky.social Matthew Guariglia @mguariglia.bsky.social · 7d
I must have been in some sort of mood when I sent in this blurb for @profferguson.bsky.social's important new book

Your Data Will Be Used Against You: Policing in the Age of Self-Surveillance

nyupress.org/978147983828...
"As Virgil guided Dante through Hell, so too does Ferguson guide us through the world of digital informants and the inadequate legal regime that enables it. Your Data Will Be Used Against You is essential and a bright flashing warning sign articulating the vulnerability we all live with, the inability of the current legal system to protect us, and the loaded gun this system represents to would-be tyrants whether they wear a badge or make the laws." ~Matthew Guariglia, author of Police and the Empire City: Race and the Origins of Modern Policing in New York

Reposted by Andrew Guthrie Ferguson

mguariglia.bsky.social
Matthew Guariglia @mguariglia.bsky.social · 7d
I must have been in some sort of mood when I sent in this blurb for @profferguson.bsky.social's important new book

Your Data Will Be Used Against You: Policing in the Age of Self-Surveillance

nyupress.org/978147983828...
"As Virgil guided Dante through Hell, so too does Ferguson guide us through the world of digital informants and the inadequate legal regime that enables it. Your Data Will Be Used Against You is essential and a bright flashing warning sign articulating the vulnerability we all live with, the inability of the current legal system to protect us, and the loaded gun this system represents to would-be tyrants whether they wear a badge or make the laws." ~Matthew Guariglia, author of Police and the Empire City: Race and the Origins of Modern Policing in New York

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 10d
Coolest Halloween trick or treat. Giving a book-loving kid a signed book by an award-winning author. Talk about knocking on the right door.

Reposted by Andrew Guthrie Ferguson

josephcox.bsky.social
Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 10d
You can see the document for yourself here: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

We don't paywall articles based on public records like this. And we try to publish as many records as we can, like here. You can support 404 Media by becoming a paid subscriber here: 404media.co/membership/

Reposted by Juan Cole, David R. Miller, Andrew Guthrie Ferguson

404media.co
404 Media @404media.co · 10d
NEW: you can't refuse to be scanned by ICE's new facial recognition app, according to internal DHS document 404 Media obtained. Photos taken by the app are stored for 15 years, including of U.S. citizens. We've published the full document here: www.404media.co/you-cant-ref...
You Can't Refuse To Be Scanned by ICE's Facial Recognition App, DHS Document Says
Photos captured by Mobile Fortify will be stored for 15 years, regardless of immigration or citizenship status, the document says.
www.404media.co

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Joe R. Feagin, John Horgan , and 5 more

josephcox.bsky.social
Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 10d
New from 404 Media: you can't refuse to be scanned by ICE's new facial recognition app, according to internal DHS document I obtained. Photos captured by the app are stored for 15 years, including U.S. citizens. We've seen officers scanning faces w/ phones on streets

www.404media.co/you-cant-ref...
You Can't Refuse To Be Scanned by ICE's Facial Recognition App, DHS Document Says
Photos captured by Mobile Fortify will be stored for 15 years, regardless of immigration or citizenship status, the document says.
www.404media.co

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 11d
Rare story of community rejecting surveillance creep.

www.govtech.com/public-safet...
Hillsborough, N.C., Cancels Surveillance Camera Contract
The town Board of Commissioners approved a two-year pact to install 10 surveillance cameras, but subsequently canceled it. Staff and board members expressed privacy concerns around data sharing.
www.govtech.com

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Anna O. Law, Colin F. Camerer , and 27 more

josephcox.bsky.social
Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 12d
New incredible detail here: ICE says a match in its facial recognition app Mobile Fortify is a "definitive" determination of a person's status, and that this overrides birth certificates. This is an app ICE is using in the field to scan people

www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
Ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee Bennie G. Thompson said in a statement “Mobile Fortify is a dangerous tool in the hands of ICE, and it puts American citizens at risk of detention and even deportation.” He also said “ICE officials have told us that an apparent biometric match by Mobile Fortify is a ‘definitive’ determination of a person’s status and that an ICE officer may ignore evidence of American citizenship—including a birth certificate—if the app says the person is an alien. ICE using a mobile biometrics app in ways its developers at CBP never intended or tested is a frightening, repugnant, and unconstitutional attack on Americans’ rights and freedoms.”

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Brendan Nyhan, Jennifer A. Richeson , and 12 more

josephcox.bsky.social
Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 12d
New: Videos show ICE/CBP agents are scanning peoples' faces on the street to verify citizenship. ICE has tool to instantly look up unprecedented number of databases with just a photo

“I’m an American citizen so leave me alone”

“Alright, we just got to verify that”

www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
ICE and CBP Agents Are Scanning Peoples’ Faces on the Street To Verify Citizenship
Videos on social media show officers from ICE and CBP using facial recognition technology on people in the field. One expert described the practice as “pure dystopian creep.”
www.404media.co

Reposted by Paul M. Schwartz

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 13d
Your Data Will Be Used Against You
stribs.bsky.social Robert Stribley @stribs.bsky.social · 13d
New from me: A recent report about robot vacuum cleaners sending maps of people’s homes to manufacturers is just the latest in a series of stories about privacy issues with these machines :: Friend link - stribs.medium.com/is-your-vacu...
Is Your Vacuum Cleaner Spying On You?
A recent report about robot vacuum cleaners sending maps of people’s homes to manufacturers is just the latest in a series of stories…
stribs.medium.com

Reposted by Andrew Guthrie Ferguson

stribs.bsky.social
Robert Stribley @stribs.bsky.social · 13d
New from me: A recent report about robot vacuum cleaners sending maps of people’s homes to manufacturers is just the latest in a series of stories about privacy issues with these machines :: Friend link - stribs.medium.com/is-your-vacu...
Is Your Vacuum Cleaner Spying On You?
A recent report about robot vacuum cleaners sending maps of people’s homes to manufacturers is just the latest in a series of stories…
stribs.medium.com

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 13d
denverite.com/2025/10/27/b...
Police used Flock cameras to accuse a Denver woman of package theft. She had her own evidence
"Like I said, nothing gets in or out of the town without us knowing."
denverite.com

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 14d
Smart glasses that protect against surveillance v. Smart glasses that are surveillance. What a world.
404media.co 404 Media @404media.co · 14d
NEW: we tested Zenni's anti-facial recognition glasses coating. "ID Guard" adds a pink sheen to the surface of the glasses that reflects the infrared light used by some facial recognition cameras.

www.404media.co/zennis-anti-...
Zenni’s Anti-Facial Recognition Glasses are Eyewear for Our Paranoid Age
These anti-facial recognition glasses technically work, but won’t save you from our surveillance dystopia.
www.404media.co

Reposted by Andrew Guthrie Ferguson

404media.co
404 Media @404media.co · 14d
NEW: we tested Zenni's anti-facial recognition glasses coating. "ID Guard" adds a pink sheen to the surface of the glasses that reflects the infrared light used by some facial recognition cameras.

www.404media.co/zennis-anti-...
Zenni’s Anti-Facial Recognition Glasses are Eyewear for Our Paranoid Age
These anti-facial recognition glasses technically work, but won’t save you from our surveillance dystopia.
www.404media.co

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 17d
Read this thread!
elmunc.bsky.social Eric Muller @elmunc.bsky.social · 17d
A 🧵 on the AI jury:

This morning I watched several talented law students mock-try a robbery prosecution to a jury of three generative AI bots: ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude. The “jurors" were fed a real-time transcript of the proceedings and then "deliberated" in front of the audience.

#AI #lawsky

Reposted by Andrew Guthrie Ferguson

elmunc.bsky.social
Eric Muller @elmunc.bsky.social · 17d
A 🧵 on the AI jury:

This morning I watched several talented law students mock-try a robbery prosecution to a jury of three generative AI bots: ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude. The “jurors" were fed a real-time transcript of the proceedings and then "deliberated" in front of the audience.

#AI #lawsky

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 17d
Or maybe they stole and scraped some amazing content and convinced themselves of its value and worth.

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 17d
How did they quantify “beyond a reasonable doubt”? Someone had to program in a number or two. Would be fascinating to know.

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 19d
Thank you for your service.

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 23d
If you are protesting #NoKings be cognizant that you are under surveillance.

Your rights to petition, assemble, dissent, and just speak your mind are threatened by the same surveillance systems you have helped enable through buying “smart” tech and funding police tech to watch your communities.

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 23d
“Also, around 49% of those interviewed say their agencies are apt to adopt facial recognition and 54% say they are likely to adopt predictive policing tools like AI.”

news.jrn.msu.edu/2025/10/more...
More law enforcement agencies using artificial intelligence - Spartan Newsroom
A growing number of law enforcement agencies are using artificial intelligence, a U-M study finds. That includes automated license plate readers, facial recognition technology and other AI tools. The ...
news.jrn.msu.edu

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 24d
Can’t say we weren’t warned. And, all of that tech will be normalized in a few years as it expands beyond immigration enforcement.
justinhendrix.bsky.social Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 24d
ICE "has been rapidly building out its surveillance capabilities in recent weeks, signing a string of contracts for technologies to identify individuals by their irises or facial features and to monitor their cellphone activity, social media posts and physical movements," per spending disclosures.
ICE amps up its surveillance powers, targeting immigrants and antifa
Iris scanners, facial recognition apps, phone-hacking software and cellphone location data are among the agency’s recent technological purchases.
www.washingtonpost.com

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 24d
This debate over AI in policing is going to happen in every city in America over the next few years. billypenn.com/2025/10/17/p...
Philly councilmembers push for protections from misuse of AI
Police use of facial recognition and drones is subject to “rigorous” review, officials say.
billypenn.com

Reposted by Margaret Mitchell, Daniel W. Drezner, Andrew Guthrie Ferguson

justinhendrix.bsky.social
Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 24d
ICE "has been rapidly building out its surveillance capabilities in recent weeks, signing a string of contracts for technologies to identify individuals by their irises or facial features and to monitor their cellphone activity, social media posts and physical movements," per spending disclosures.
ICE amps up its surveillance powers, targeting immigrants and antifa
Iris scanners, facial recognition apps, phone-hacking software and cellphone location data are among the agency’s recent technological purchases.
www.washingtonpost.com

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 25d
Your Data Will Be Used Against You. www.cnbc.com/2025/10/16/a...
Amazon Ring security cameras moving deeper into law enforcement with Flock Safety, Axon deals
Amazon Ring security cameras are getting more deeply into police work through deals with Flock Safety and Axon at time of rising debate over crime levels.
www.cnbc.com

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 26d
Should you know if police used AI to draft your police report? Only Utah and California require such basic transparency. Who is next? theconversation.com/concerns-abo...
Concerns about AI-written police reports spur states to regulate the emerging practice
AI-generated police reports promise to save cops time, but they also raise a host of legal and technical concerns.
theconversation.com

profferguson.bsky.social
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 26d
AI Police reports must be disclosed in California. My take. theconversation.com/concerns-abo...
Concerns about AI-written police reports spur states to regulate the emerging practice
AI-generated police reports promise to save cops time, but they also raise a host of legal and technical concerns.
theconversation.com