A town resident repeatedly requested public records about the town’s former facial-recognition camera system, raised the issue of missing records at Town Council meetings and eventually sued under Maine’s Freedom of Access Act. The town has asked the court to dismiss his case, saying it conducted a good-faith search and supplied every responsive record it could locate; Harriman disputes that account.
Why It Matters
Facial-recognition cameras can track people in public spaces, making transparency about their purchase, operation and oversight especially important. This story shows the persistence of one resident in using records laws, public meetings and the courts to scrutinize local surveillance. This effort seeks transparency about how a local government selected and operated technology capable of tracking members of the public.