Cameras
Cameras aren’t a new technology, but the computational photography behind the lens is. Civic tech projects include sousveillance, or using the widespread availability of cameras to document antisocial behavior like police brutality and human rights violations.
Civic tech is also concerned about civil liberties, and fighting unnecessary surveillance. See, for example:
- WITNESS's Cameras Everywhere report on the challenges and opportunities that the proliferation of cameras across society presents.
- Comparitech's report on the amount of CCTV surveillance in the biggest US cities
Ring Fire Watch feature
Partnership with Watch Duty allows Ring owners to get alerts as well as share wildfire imagery with others
Meta Smart Glasses
Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with AI integration
Woolaroo
Explore endangered languages using AI. Let your camera translate the world around you.
San José Data Usage Protocols & Public Comment initiative
Public Comment period for emerging place-based tech deployed in San José
Baseline vulnerable road user injury risk in multiple U.S. dense urban driving environments
Waymo partnered with dashcam company Nexar to analyze 500 million miles of driving, including 335 crashes, to create the 'largest ever’ dataset of pedestrian and cyclist injuries
YouTube: ‘Captured with a camera’ disclosure
Help article explaining how to enable comments on YouTube videos and livestreams.
Flickr Foundation
Imagine if we could place ourselves 100 years from now and still have access to photos shared by millions of people on Flickr…
Chicago Truck Count
Counting trucks for environmental justice
Traffic Cam Photobooth
Take selfies with surveillance!
Selfie Control
An Instagram filter that reminds you not to get too close to wild animals as you take your photo
Dot Go
The first object interaction app for the visually impaired. iOS only.
ProofMode
Turn your photos and videos into secure, signed visual evidence
Face the Facts app
Mit Face the Facts Wahlplakate scannen und herausfinden wofür Politiker:innen wirklich stehen.
The Verge's Police Brutality piece
A beautiful media tribute to the civilians who show up with cameras to document injustice
Vacant Property QR Codes
Baltimore City Council Bill 19-0429 requires the Department of Housing & Community Development to post signage on vacant buildings that will identify owners so that they can be held accountable by the...
Reported
Reported lets you submit feedback about NYC taxis in 30 seconds. Reported submits this feedback directly to NYC's 311 system and the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Copcast
Copcast is an open-source project that can turn any Android phone into a body-worn camera system for law enforcement, providing a more cost-effective and accessible solution for law enforcement office...
Decolonize This Place
Decolonize This Place is an action-oriented movement centering around Indigenous struggle, Black liberation, free Palestine, global wage workers and de-gentrification.
WITNESS
WITNESS is an international nonprofit organization that trains and supports people using video in their fight for human rights.
Jotto Video
Jotto allows individuals allied with a cause to record and automatically upload videos directly to an organization behind that cause.