Introduction to the Surveillance State of Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden, a renowned performance venue and home to the New York Knicks, has been equipped with facial recognition tools since 2018 to identify potential security threats. However, it appears that these tools are also being used to keep critics of MSG CEO James Dolan out of the venue. The latest example of this is the case of Frank Miller, a Seattle resident who was banned from attending a show at Radio City Music Hall, another venue owned by MSG.

The Case of Frank Miller

According to a report by The Verge, Miller was in New York for his parents’ wedding anniversary and had planned to attend a show at Radio City Music Hall with his family. However, upon scanning his ticket, he was immediately pulled aside by security, handed a document informing him that he was banned, and asked to leave. The reason for the ban, as explained to Miller by staff, was allegedly an incident in 2021 that landed him on the do-not-enter list. However, Miller claims that he hasn’t been to a Madison Square Garden venue in over a decade.

The Real Reason for the Ban

It appears that the actual reason for Miller’s! ban was a t-shirt he designed in 2017, which read "Ban Dolan" in the style of the Knicks logo. The shirt was made after Charles Oakley, a former Knicks player, was forcibly removed from MSG, allegedly at the behest of Dolan. A friend of Miller’s wore the shirt to MSG in 2021 and was publicly kicked out and banned from the venue. The fact that Miller made the shirt was enough to get him put on the venue’s ban list, which was enforced years later when he tried to attend a show.

MSG’s Statement and Code of Conduct

In a statement to The Verge, an MSG representative claimed that Miller had "made threats against an MSG executive on social media and produced and sold merchandise that was offensive in nature," and that his behavior was "disrespectful and disruptive and in violation of our code of conduct." However, this statement seems to be at odds with the actual reason for Miller’s ban, which was his criticism of Dolan through the design of the t-shirt.

A Pattern of Behavior by Dolan

Miller is just the latest in a long line of people who have been banned from MSG venues due to their criticism of Dolan. In 2023, New York Attorney General Letitia James opened an inquiry into Dolan’s alleged blacklist of enemies, which reportedly included thousands of lawyers from over 90 firms who were involved in litigation against Dolan and MSG. There are also fans who have been critical of Dolan on social media and now have difficulty getting past security to attend shows and games.

The Role of Facial Recognition Technology

Most of the enforcement of Dolan’s bans appears to stem from the facial recognition technology utilized by venue security, which helps identify people who are on the ban list. However, based on Miller’s case, it seems that there is some surveillance beyond this at play. It is likely that someone is scraping social media, keeping tabs on voices critical of Dolan, and putting them in the system to keep them out of future events. This raises concerns about the use of surveillance technology to silence critics and stifle free speech.

Conclusion

The case of Frank Miller highlights the concerning use of surveillance technology and facial recognition tools to ban critics of James Dolan from MSG venues. The fact that Miller was banned for designing a t-shirt that was critical of Dolan, and not for any actual incident or threat, raises questions about the thin-skinned nature of the billionaire CEO and his willingness to use his venues as retribution machines against his critics. As the use of facial recognition technology becomes more widespread, it is essential to consider the potential implications for free speech and the ability to criticize those in power.