Privacy & Surveillance
Facial recognition, data collection, and AI-powered monitoring.
AI makes large-scale surveillance dramatically cheaper. Face recognition, voice identification, and behavioral analysis can now be done at the scale of entire cities — by governments and by private companies.
Why it matters to voters
Most U.S. consumer data is loosely regulated. AI tools can combine commercial data with public records to build detailed profiles of individuals without their knowledge.
Recent developments
- 2025Several states pass laws restricting law enforcement use of facial recognition.
- 2026Texas Responsible AI Governance Act and Colorado AI Act take effect, both with privacy provisions.
Why this mattersThese state laws set the de facto floor for AI privacy protections absent a federal standard.
Political & policy relevance
A federal comprehensive privacy law (the American Privacy Rights Act) remains stalled. Most action is at the state level.
Candidates working on this
Mallory McMorrow · Valerie Foushee
Further reading
Last updated 2025
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