Use Of Technology In Kidnapping Case Highlights Privacy And Surveillance Concerns

25:59

January 24, 2019

Victor Pena, center, appears at the Charlestown Division of the Boston Municipal Court in Charlestown, Mass., Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. Pena, who has been charged with kidnapping a 23-year-old woman in Boston has been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and will be held without bail. (Aram Boghosian/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

The alleged kidnapping of a Boston woman last weekend has shed some light on just how ubiquitous surveillance is throughout the city.

Twenty-three-year-old Olivia Ambrose disappeared after leaving a bar Saturday. When her sister wasn't able to reach her, she used a smartphone feature that told her the last location of Ambrose's phone. Law enforcement then used that and surveillance footage, and found the Charlestown apartment where Ambrose was allegedly being held against her will. The man who lived in the apartment is charged with kidnapping.

While this story has a happy ending, it does highlight potential privacy concerns.

Guests

Hiawatha Bray, Boston Globe tech columnist. Bray tweets @HiawathaBray.

Kade Crockford, director of the Technology for Liberty Program for the ACLU Massachusetts. Crockford tweets @onekade.

Kelly Nee, chief of police for Boston University. Nee tweets @ChiefNee.

This segment aired on January 24, 2019.