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New Orleans’ Controversial Facial Recognition Network Faces Repeated Shutdowns Over Privacy Fears

A private surveillance experiment in New Orleans became a battleground for privacy rights. Now, its future—and the city’s policies—hang in the balance.

,   and  ASMedia
1 min read
In this picture we can see three people wore face masks and in front of them we can see a child...
In this picture we can see three people wore face masks and in front of them we can see a child lying on a bed and in the background we can see the wall, tray and some objects.

New Orleans’ Controversial Facial Recognition Network Faces Repeated Shutdowns Over Privacy Fears

New Orleans once hosted the first known live facial recognition network in the US, run by a private group called Project NOLA. The system, which analysed feeds from thousands of cameras, sparked controversy and led to policy changes. Police cooperation with the project has since been halted twice—first in 2020 and again in 2025—amid legal and public concerns.

Project NOLA was founded by former police officer Bryan Lagarde as a non-profit organisation. It acted as a clearinghouse for video from over 5,000 cameras across the city, with around 200 advanced models capable of live facial recognition. When a face matched one of roughly 250 people on its 'hot lists,' staff received alerts. Not all matches involved individuals wanted by law enforcement, but the group shared information with police when certain thresholds were met.

The New Orleans Police Department first ended its live facial-recognition partnership with Project NOLA in August 2020. Public scrutiny grew after the ACLU and local advocates raised concerns, prompting the city to suspend use of the technology pending policy reviews. The department announced it would no longer use live facial recognition for real-time surveillance, and Project NOLA stopped supplying live-stream analysis that summer.

Years later, in April 2025, Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick paused cooperation again. This time, the decision followed concerns over potential violations of city ordinances. Meanwhile, federal law remains unclear on how law enforcement may use live facial recognition, though a Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Jones requires warrants for continuous tracking.

The city has yet to decide whether to formalise police collaboration with third-party facial recognition providers or establish its own live system.

Project NOLA’s facial recognition network marked a first for US cities but faced repeated setbacks. Police cooperation ended twice due to legal and public pressure, leaving the future of such technology in New Orleans uncertain. Without clear federal guidelines, the city must now determine its next steps on surveillance policies.

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