ACLU Releases Toolkit for Lawyers to Expose Police Surveillance Technologies

Massachusetts attorneys now have a new resource designed to scrutinize the technology that police use to build criminal cases. The “Massachusetts Police Technology Challenge Toolkit,” released by the Massachusetts Bar Association in partnership with the Center for Digital Rights, provides a set of templates, procedural checklists, and research briefs that focus on the use of facial‑recognition software, automated license‑plate readers, and AI‑generated police reports.

The toolkit offers step‑by‑step guidance for requesting disclosure of algorithmic training data, testing for bias, and filing objections to evidence that relies on proprietary software. It also includes sample motions to compel the court to order independent audits of facial‑recognition systems and to challenge the admissibility of police reports that were auto‑written by machine‑learning models. By making these tools freely available online, the initiative aims to level the playing field for defense counsel who must now contend with increasingly sophisticated, often opaque, investigative technologies.

With the toolkit in hand, attorneys can more efficiently identify and contest potential errors or discriminatory practices embedded in police evidence. The effort reflects a growing statewide push to ensure that the use of emerging technologies in law enforcement remains transparent, accountable, and subject to rigorous judicial scrutiny.