Mayor Dickens Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Oversight of Surveillance Technology
Tuesday, October 13th, 2026
Mayor Andre Dickens announced the introduction of legislation establishing a comprehensive citywide framework for the acquisition, use, oversight and auditing of surveillance technology by City of Atlanta departments and agencies.
The proposed ordinance is designed to preserve the City's ability to use technology for legitimate public-safety and governmental purposes while strengthening protections for privacy, civil rights, civil liberties, cybersecurity and public trust. It would replace a primarily cost-based review approach with a risk-based system that considers a technology's capabilities, intended use, scale, sensitivity, data practices and potential impact.
“Technology can help us prevent crime, respond to emergencies and deliver better services, but public safety and public trust have to move forward together,” said Mayor Dickens. “This legislation puts clear, consistent rules in place for how surveillance technology is reviewed, used and monitored across the City. Atlanta should be able to use responsible tools that serve a legitimate public purpose, and the more powerful the technology, the stronger the safeguards, transparency and accountability should be.”
At its core, the proposed legislation follows a straightforward principle: the more powerful the surveillance technology, the stronger the oversight, transparency and accountability required.
The proposal would:
- Require clear rules before higher-risk surveillance technology is used, including Surveillance Impact Reports and Surveillance Use Policies explaining what the technology does, why the City is using it, who may access it and how data will be handled.
- Create meaningful opportunities for public review and input before the City deploys or materially expands its highest-impact surveillance technologies.
- Require ongoing audits and independent oversight, including independent technical audits of higher-risk systems and investigation of credible allegations involving material misuse.
- Strengthen protections for City surveillance data, including prohibiting vendors from independently selling, monetizing, licensing or using that data for unrelated purposes.
The legislation would also create a seven-member Surveillance Technology Review Panel to examine higher-risk technologies and recommend safeguards, limits and reporting requirements. The Administration is requesting a City Council work session and public hearing over the next 60 days as it works with Councilmembers, residents, civil rights organizations, public safety professionals and other stakeholders to refine the legislation and move it toward adoption.
“I strongly believe we can protect Atlantans’ public safety while also protecting our civil liberties and privacy,” said District 4 Councilmember Jason Dozier. “This legislation sets clear, responsible standards for how Atlanta uses surveillance technology, and I am proud of the framework we have developed. I look forward to working with my colleagues and the public to strengthen these protections and codify them into law.”
Additional safeguards would apply to pilots, trials, donations, grants and no-cost arrangements so technology cannot avoid review based on how it is acquired. Vendors would be prohibited from independently selling, monetizing, licensing or using City surveillance data for unrelated purposes. The proposal also calls for automated tools, where technologically applicable, to flag unusual or potentially unauthorized activity for human review.
The ordinance preserves flexibility for temporary technology deployments during genuine emergencies and major special events while requiring continued or routine use to proceed through the normal review process. Existing surveillance technologies would be inventoried and classified, with higher-risk systems brought under the ordinance's reporting, auditing, use-policy and data-governance requirements.
