In effect
Limited protection
Cambridge, MA — Surveillance Technology Ordinance
Cambridge, MA · Surveillance Technology Ordinance
Cambridge bars city departments from funding, acquiring, or using surveillance technology without express City Council approval, requiring public impact reports, a use policy, and ongoing use reporting.
Technical detail
Cambridge bars city departments from funding, acquiring, or using surveillance technology without express City Council approval, requiring public impact reports, a use policy, and ongoing use reporting.
Who is protected: People subject to this body's AI/surveillance systems.
Who must comply: Cambridge, MA
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Cambridge, MA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2018-12-10 |
| Citation | Surveillance Technology Ordinance |
| Topics | police and surveillance AI · consumer data privacy · AI disclosure and transparency · government use of AI · facial recognition |
| Last verified | 2026-07-01 |
| Official source | Cambridge passes law requiring community control of police surveillance | ACLU of Massachusetts ↗ |
More AI rules in Cambridge, MA
- Cambridge MA algorithmic rent-setting ban (policy order, Jun. 2026) · Proposed / pending
- Cambridge Surveillance Ordinance & FR Ban · In effect
- Ordinance banning municipal use of face surveillance technol · In effect
- Cambridge terminates Flock Safety ALPR contract for 'materia · 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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