New Yorkers simply going about their daily lives routinely encounter post-9/11 digital surveillance tools like facial recognition software, license plate readers or mobile X-ray vans that can see through car doors, The New York Times reported.

Surveillance drones hover above mass demonstrations and protesters say they have been questioned by antiterrorism officers after marches.

Demolishing the World Trade Center (WTC) -nearly two decades ago- caused the surveillance cameras to fundamentally shift the way NYPD must operate, which lost 23 of its own officers that day, and hundreds more from 9/11-related illnesses in the years since.

Eric Adams, the Brooklyn borough president and the heavy favorite to become the city’s next mayor, said in an interview that he intends to audit and re-evaluate how counterterrorism and surveillance resources are deployed and used in the city.

‘I’m a believer in using technology to keep us safe,’ said Mr. Adams, a former New York City police captain. ‘I don’t believe in using technology to dismantle our rights that exist in our country.’

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