In effect
Limited protection
Boston, MA — Ordinance on Surveillance Oversight and Information Sharing
Boston, MA · Ordinance on Surveillance Oversight and Information Sharing
Boston bars police from acquiring, deploying, or newly repurposing surveillance technology without City Council approval and restricts sharing student information with police, complementing its earlier facial-recognition ban.
Technical detail
Boston bars police from acquiring, deploying, or newly repurposing surveillance technology without City Council approval and restricts sharing student information with police, complementing its earlier facial-recognition ban.
Who is protected: People subject to this body's AI/surveillance systems.
Who must comply: Boston, MA
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Boston, MA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2021-10-21 |
| Citation | Ordinance on Surveillance Oversight and Information Sharing |
| Topics | police and surveillance AI · facial recognition · consumer data privacy · AI disclosure and transparency · government use of AI · children's online safety |
| Last verified | 2026-07-01 |
| Official source | Boston City Council votes to bar police from using new surveillance tech without approval | WBUR ↗ |
More AI rules in Boston, MA
- Boston GenAI Guidelines · In effect
- Boston Public Schools · In effect
- Boston Interim GenAI Guidelines · In effect
- Boston Face Surveillance Ban · In effect
- Ordinance banning face surveillance technology in Boston · In effect
Related police and surveillance AI rules elsewhere
- NAACP v. xAI (Colossus 2 Air Pollution) · Blocked / in litigation
- Chatrie v. United States (Fourth Amendment protection for lo · Blocked / in litigation
- Virginia § 15.2-1723.2 (facial recognition by local law enforcement, eff. July 1, 2026) · In effect
- Huntington WV Flock contract approved 6-4 (Jul. 14, 2026) · In effect
- ACLU-WV v. Huntington (Flock contract mandamus) · Blocked / in litigation
- Minneapolis rejects Skydio DFR contract 6-6 (Jul. 16, 2026) · In effect
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