A current incident at Radio City Music Hall involving the mom of a Girl Scout is shedding mild on the rising controversy of facial recognition, as critics declare it’s getting used to focus on perceived enemies — on this case, by probably the most well-known corporations within the nation.
Kelly Conlon and her daughter got here to New York City the weekend after Thanksgiving as a part of a Girl Scout discipline journey to Radio City Music Hall to see the Christmas Spectacular present. But whereas her daughter, different members of the Girl Scout troop and their moms obtained to go benefit from the present, Conlon wasn’t allowed to take action.
That’s as a result of to Madison Square Garden Entertainment, Conlon is not simply any mother. They had recognized and zeroed in on her, as safety guards approached her proper as he obtained into the foyer.
“It was pretty simultaneous, I think, to me, going through the metal detector, that I heard over an intercom or loudspeaker,” she instructed NBC New York. “I heard them say woman with long dark hair and a grey scarf.”
She stated she was requested her title and to provide identification.
“I believe they said that our recognition picked you up,” Conlon stated.
An indication says facial recognition is used as a safety measure to make sure security for company and staff. Conlon says she posed no menace, however the guards nonetheless kicked her out with the reason that they knew she was an lawyer.
“They knew my name before I told them. They knew the firm I was associated with before I told them. And they told me I was not allowed to be there,” stated Conlon.
Conlon is an affiliate with the New Jersey-based legislation agency, Davis, Saperstein and Solomon, which for years has been concerned in private harm litigation in opposition to a restaurant venue now below the umbrella of MSG Entertainment.
“I don’t practice in New York. I’m not an attorney that works on any cases against MSG,” stated Conlon.
But MSG stated she was banned nonetheless — together with fellow attorneys in that agency and others.
“MSG instituted a straightforward policy that precludes attorneys pursuing active litigation against the Company from attending events at our venues until that litigation has been resolved. While we understand this policy is disappointing to some, we cannot ignore the fact that litigation creates an inherently adverse environment. All impacted attorneys were notified of the policy, including Davis, Saperstein and Salomon, which was notified twice,” a spokesperson for MSG Entertainment stated in an announcement.
“This whole scheme is a pretext for doing collective punishment on adversaries who would dare sue MSG in their multi-billion dollar network,” stated Sam Davis, a companion on the agency the place Conlon works.
Other corporations have sued over being blacklisted. Conlon stated she thought a current decide’s order in a type of circumstances made it clear that ticketholders like her “may not be denied entry to any shows.”
MSG said that “In this particular situation, only the one attorney who chose to attend was denied entry, and the rest of of her group — including the Girl Scouts — were all able to attend and enjoy the show.”
“I was just a mom taking my daughter to see a Christmas show,” Conlon instructed the I-Team. “I did wait outside…It was embarrassing, it was mortifying.”
Davis is now upping the authorized ante, difficult MSG’s license with the State Liquor Authority.
“The liquor license that MSG got requires them to admit members of the public, unless there are people who would be disruptive who constitute a security threat,” stated Davis. “Taking a mother, separating a mother from her daughter and Girl Scouts she was watching over — and to do it under the pretext of protecting any disclosure of litigation information — is absolutely absurd. The fact they’re using facial recognition to do this is frightening. It’s un-American to do this.”
A spokesperson for MSG reiterated in an announcement that security is their highest precedence and that facial recognition is simply one of many strategies they use. MSG Entertainment additionally stated it’s assured their coverage is in compliance with all relevant legal guidelines, together with the New York State Liquor Authority.