LA Police Uses Disputed Software for Citizen Surveillance

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has recently finalized a lucrative agreement with Cobwebs Technologies, an Israeli company specializing in surveillance software. The contract, worth millions of dollars, entails the acquisition of a comprehensive software suite that enables the mass collection and analysis of geolocation data of individuals.

Cobwebs Technologies’ system comprises two key platforms. The first is known as Tangle, which functions as a web analytic platform capable of searching the internet, social networks, and even the darknet. Tangle can be enhanced with artificial intelligence that possesses image, face, and symbol recognition capabilities.

The second platform, named Webloc, serves as a real-time location tracking system that enables high-precision monitoring of individuals’ movements within the city. Concerns have been raised, particularly about the WebLOC platform, regarding potential infringements upon civil rights and privacy.

Details regarding the transaction were brought to light through enquiries made under the Freedom of Information Act. According to official documents, the LAPD entered into the contract with Cobwebs Technologies in October 2022, with a term initially set for one year. The LAPD intends to test the Webloc platform during this period and subsequently produce an evaluation report on its efficacy.

In practice, the WebLOC platform gathers and processes extensive amounts of geolocation data, enabling the

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