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Utah company Banjo is building a massive surveillance system with the help of the state’s attorney general - The Salt Lake Tribune Utah company Banjo is building a massive surveillance system with the help of the state’s attorney general - The Salt Lake Tribune" target="_blank" rel="noopener">

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Sean Patton

At a high level watching the video, it sounds like Everbridge Visual Command Center, Hitachi Visualization Suite, or Echosec Security.

We have not tested any of these systems, so it is impossible for me to compare what any of them do better or worse than the others. I generally agree it is interesting for public safety environments, given the amount of data posted by the public, if, and it is a huge if, the software does what they say it does.

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Michael Miller

In reply to Michael Miller

In reply to Sean Patton

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Undisclosed #1

•Mar 13, 2020

from that video (4:12 mark)

"42 minutes after the explosion (Boston Marathon bombing) we identified one of the terror suspects"

say what?

is there a shred of evidence that this statement is true?

was it acted upon? i.e. were they involved in the investigation and did they play any part in the identification of one of the brothers involved?

I just happen to work with the Boston PD surveillance department on a regular basis and I have heard many stories from the guys who worked the investigation.

ZERO people have ever mentioned anything whatsoever regarding Banjo or this guy with the beard.

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Undisclosed Manufacturer #4

In reply to Sean Patton

Echosec is really cool. I tested and was integrating into it a few years ago. They are really big for sports venues. They use if for real-time threat detection. I know an instance where a guy was going to streak the field and they pinpointed the location of the person through social media and caught him before he did the act. They are able to connect to practically every single social network on this planet. Really cool stuff.

I assume or think that Banjo is playing in the same field.

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Undisclosed #3

IPVMU Certified

sounds like a crock

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Undisclosed End User #2

Well can't find the app in google play store as the 2017 video claims. I just requested info from web site. We'll see what happens. Maybe I just plugged myself into the matrix.

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Undisclosed End User #2

In reply to Undisclosed End User #2

So answer back from Banjo is that the service is not yet available in my "state". They will get back to me.

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Kyle Folger

IPVMU Certified

It looks very interesting. For a moment I thought it was going to analyze the beard to see if it was real or fake. At least in the second video, it wasn't so perfectly cut. I always love it when the slide photo is much different than the presenter.

I shouldn't speak too much though, as my photo hasn't changed, but my hair is past my shoulders.

On a serious note, the video is very impressive with all the sound effects and reminds me of watching a CSI episode where they are zooming on the eye. If the system works and is as impressive as the first video production, then it could be a game changer. It's discouraging when many companies talk about impressive analytics, and then IPVM does a test and they quickly crumble while Avigilon stays on top.

Where does it pull its data from and how? Not all social media posts are public and I don't see it diving into text messages. Privacy concerns come to mind and then the fact that any system is only as good as what's fed into it.

I guess getting people to sign up through the app using social media accounts is a big ask, but apparently consumers are very trusting to login to "The Most Important Social Media Company You've Never Heard Of"

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Undisclosed Integrator #5

Surveillance Firm Banjo Used a Secret Company and Fake Apps to Scrape Social Media - VICE

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Kyle Folger

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #5

IPVMU Certified

Well if that article is true, it would answer my question as to where it pulls its data from and how.

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Undisclosed #1

•Mar 13, 2020

(Mar 10) Utah State Legislature declines additional $5M funding request for Banjo

(Mar 11) Salt Lake City Police won't share data with Banjo

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Undisclosed End User #2

•Mar 13, 2020

Banjo CEO steps down as fallout from white supremacist past continues - Deseret News

Hmm. Seems like the web of secrecy and potential privacy and TOS violations might be unraveling.

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Undisclosed Manufacturer #6

•Apr 29, 2020

Interesting news here: Utah attorney general suspends state contract with Banjo in light of founder’s KKK past - The Salt Lake Tribune

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Undisclosed #1

•May 09, 2020

Patton out

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John Honovich

•May 09, 2020

IPVM

In reply to John Honovich

Terrible, quote from that:

According to court records, Patton was driving the vehicle on that day as a Klan leader shot out windows of the synagogue with a semi-automatic weapon. No one was injured in the incident, but the gunfire was directed at a building not far from where the congregation’s rabbi was at the time.

While two Klansmen were later convicted of crimes related to the incident, Patton, according to Medium, pleaded guilty to acts of juvenile delinquency in connection with the incident. Patton also testified at the trial about his beliefs, at the time.

“We believe that the blacks and the Jews are taking over America, and it’s our job to take America back for the white race,” Patton testified.

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Undisclosed #1

•May 09, 2020

does this quote (same link) mitigate any of that 1990 quote?

“Thirty-two years ago I was a lost, scared and vulnerable child,” Patton said. “I won’t go into detail, but the reasons I left home at such a young age are unfortunately not unique; I suffered abuse in every form. I did terrible things and said despicable and hateful things, including to my own Jewish mother, that today I find indefensibly wrong, and feel extreme remorse for. I have spent most of my adult lifetime working to make amends for this shameful period in my life."

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Undisclosed End User #2

•May 10, 2020

On it's own ot might be some mitigation. My problem with this is that developing a product that skirts the law if not outright violates the law to collect facial data on untold millions of people with such potential for abuse by private and governmental entities is the opposite of penitence. Clearview could easily be used as a tool to further fascism and racism regardless of whether its' founder is still an (alledged) fascist or a racist.

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Undisclosed #1

•May 10, 2020

In reply to Undisclosed End User #2

i do not disagree with your premise - Patton certainly appears to have a history of being what can be euphemistically perceived as an 'opportunist'.

my point about his racist comments as a youngster - and his disavowing of same 30+ years later is a separate argument (imo) from the efficacy of his current product that he has been hawking.

and FTR, I lead off this string calling his product BRS Labs on steroids. people will always believe what they want to believe - which is why BRS Labs-type companies spring up all the time.

Scraped social media data (whether the practice is 'legal' or not) is of only marginal value to begin with - and that value proposition diminishes in direct proportion to the public knowing how their data is being scraped.

i had not imagined the long-game, 30+ year fascist propaganda angle - but I won't dismiss it.

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Undisclosed #3

•May 11, 2020

IPVMU Certified

Banjo + White Supremacy = Deliverance

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(5)

Undisclosed End User #2

•May 11, 2020

ROFL

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Undisclosed Manufacturer #7

•May 11, 2020

It is easy to focus on the crazy (ex-) white supremacist running the company but the thing from that article that stood out the most to me was this:

The University of Utah announced it had “officially terminated” its contract with Banjo on May 1. Previously, according to a statement by the U., the company had access to computer aided dispatch from the school’s police department and about 50 campus surveillance cameras. The U. also said student and employee info was never shared with the company.

This is what the public should be focused on...how many police departments are giving private industry unfettered access to surveillance feeds and dispatch data? Aside from the privacy concerns, why does the tax payer build the network and then the private companies are allowed to profit off of it?

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Undisclosed #1

•Mar 31, 2021

This Surveillance Startup Got $20M For AI Tech It Didn't Have

Banjo - Now safeXai

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John Honovich

•Apr 02, 2021

IPVM