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Practical tools · 12 questions
Surveillance Technology Questions
A starting point for asking how a government technology system works and who is accountable for it.
Download one-page PDF ↓
Questions citizens can ask
Ask for clear answers.
Use these questions in a public meeting, a conversation with an agency, or as a starting point for a records request. Choose the ones that fit the technology you are examining.
Request the written policy, contract, retention schedule, sharing agreements, and available audit or public reports to compare the answers with the records.
Take this with you
Save or print the one-page checklist.
Download PDF ↓Purpose & collection
- What specific problem is this technology meant to address, and how will the agency measure whether it works?
- What information does it collect, about whom, and under what circumstances?
Access
- Who can search or view the information, including contractors and other agencies?
- What approval or documented reason is required before someone uses the system?
Retention
- How long is the information kept, and what rule controls deletion?
- Do backup copies or vendor-held data remain after the agency deletes its copy?
Sharing
- Which agencies, vendors, or outside groups can receive the information?
- Can they search, retain, or share it further, and under what written agreement?
Logging
- Does the system record who accessed or searched the data, when, and for what stated purpose?
- Who reviews those logs, and how are improper searches detected?
Oversight
- Who approved the technology, and where can the public find its policy, contract, and cost?
- How are misuse and errors investigated, corrected, and reported to the public?
Keep the conversation going.
These questions are a practical starting point. The published proposal and supporting documents explain the rights and safeguards in more detail.
Read the source documents →