Public Eyes

Where do candidates stand on surveillance technology?

A nonpartisan voter resource that scores political candidates on their positions regarding AI-connected surveillance systems — networked license plate readers, facial recognition, and related privacy issues.

What we do

Surveillance technology like automated license plate readers (ALPR) and facial recognition is expanding rapidly across federal, state, and local government, often with little public debate about retention limits, data sharing, or oversight. Public Eyes sends candidates a standardized questionnaire covering these issues and publishes their responses alongside a transparent, weighted score — so voters can see where candidates stand before they vote.

How scoring works

Every candidate is asked the same questions, and every answer is scored against the same public rubric. Positions that limit data retention, require warrants, and restrict data sharing with federal agencies are weighted most heavily. Candidates who disclose relevant contracts or donations receive credit for transparency, regardless of the position itself. Candidates who don't respond are marked as non-responsive — not scored as if they'd taken an anti-privacy stance.

Data is coming

Candidate outreach and scoring are in progress. Once responses are collected, every candidate's score and the underlying reasoning will be published here — free, public, and searchable by race. Check back soon.

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