It’s a big year for America. It’s the semiquincentennial, otherwise known as America250, and the United States is cohosting the World Cup. But spectators at these events — and the millions of people who live in the cities hosting them — may not realize that they, too, are being watched.
From Kansas City to New York, the US cities hosting the World Cup have been ramping up their surveillance capabilities in the months leading up to the tournament. Security measures are at an all-time high in Washington, DC, which isn’t hosting the World Cup, but is home to a series of spectacles this summer. The Fourth of July festivities in the nation’s capital will have an unprecedented level of surveillance. Law enforcement agencies say they can’t take any risks during these once-in-a-lifetime events — but privacy advocates warn that some of this surveillance won’t be limited to this summer’s celebrations.
Both the Fourth of July fireworks on the National Mall and the July 19th World Cup final in New Jersey have been designated National Special Security Events (NSSE) by the Department of Homeland Security, the most stringent security designation the agency gives. This isn’t unusual for major sporting events — the Super Bowl is always given an NSSE designation — but it’s a first for the Fourth of July. The UFC fight at the White House in June was also an NSSE, as was the official UFC watch party on the Ellipse.
Attendees at the Fourth of July fireworks show on the National Mall will have to pass through airport-style security checkpoints and won’t be allowed to bring folding chairs or coolers.
