Verkada cameras outside village administration property along Hwy. 150
The Village of Taos Ski Valley in 2024 installed traffic cameras with “face recognition and license plate ID going in and out of the Village on [Hwy.] 150,” according to meeting minutes posted to its website. “The cameras are working well, and the Chief is exploring other locations (e.g. Sutton Place, the Water Tank and Hiking Parking)," the minutes added.
The meeting, which was for the VTSV Public Safety Committee and Firewise Board, occurred on November 4, 2024.
While I'm unsure cameras were installed at the other locations, two bullet cameras from the company Verkada are visible in front of administration property near the entrance of the village, monitoring ingress and egress. Verkada's automated license plate cameras can also be used for facial recognition.
It is unknown how VTSV uses the technology, as little is available in easily accessible public records. I've put in a public records request to understand more.
There’s also an older looking Swann security camera hidden under metal attached to a utility pole along Hwy. 150 closer to the ski valley parking lot.
Controversy Surrounding Verkada
Verkada's security and facial recognition technology are no stranger to controversy. In 2021, 150,000 cameras were breached by hackers, reportedly exposing feeds in hospitals, women's health clinics, jails, and even at Tesla facilities and Sandy Hook Elementary School, the site of the deadly 2012 school shooting. It is unknown if VTSV and anyone passing by was also a victim.
The year before, three Verkada male employees were fired—but only after backlash—for sexual harassment by using the cameras at their headquarters to surveil their female colleagues, take screenshots, and post them in a group chat with lewd comments.
The company was also fined over commercial email practices in 2024. Per the Department of Justice:
The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today that Verkada Inc. (Verkada), a cloud-based security company headquartered in San Mateo, California, has agreed to a settlement requiring it to pay a $2.95 million civil penalty and implement extensive data security measures. This settlement resolves allegations that Verkada violated the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act and engaged in unfair and deceptive practices in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act.
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