STOP
STOP (Surveillance Technology Oversight Project) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 that provides free legal services, legislative advocacy, public education, and research to challenge discriminatory government and corporate surveillance of immigrant communities and communities of color.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What STOP does
S.T.O.P. (Surveillance Technology Oversight Project) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 that pursues a four-pillar strategy of litigation, legislation, education, and advocacy against discriminatory government and corporate surveillance. Through a virtual law firm model, STOP pairs its small core staff with major New York civil-rights firms (notably Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP) to deliver free impact litigation and direct legal services to individuals targeted by surveillance abuse. STOP's legislative advocacy has helped shape the original 2020 POST Act and its 2026 amendments, the nation's first proposed geofence-warrant ban, and campaigns such as Ban The Scan and the Geolocation Tracking Ban, while its research arm has produced widely cited reports on NYPD, ICE, MTA, automotive, and healthcare surveillance.
The organization's go-to-market is a coalition-led, community-oriented motion rather than a commercial sales motion. There is no product or pricing: services are delivered at no cost to clients, and operating funds come from tax-deductible individual donations and foundation grants (the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is named as a supporter of the "Roadblock to Care" report). Distribution runs through press, op-eds, newsletters, social media, rallies, Know Your Rights trainings, and coalition partnerships (NY4All with the New York Immigration Coalition, joint work with NYCLU and Legal Aid Society, and academic collaborations such as the Morgan State University "People's Handbook of NYC Surveillance").
STOP does not develop proprietary technology; its "product" surface consists of legal services, legislative campaigns, educational toolkits (including a "Securer Devices and Communication Guide"), and research publications. The organization is led by Executive Director Michelle Dahl and a team of approximately 1-10 staff plus seasonal intern cohorts, operating from 1350 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan with a secondary mailing address at 40 Rector Street, and is registered as a New York nonprofit corporation (Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, Inc.). Founder Albert Fox Cahn previously served as executive director during the organization's founding years.
STOP firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- STOP
- Legal name
- Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, Inc.
- Website
- https://stopspying.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- STOP (Surveillance Technology Oversight Project) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 that provides free legal services, legislative advocacy, public education, and research to challenge discriminatory government and corporate surveillance of immigrant communities and communities of color.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
STOP industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civil Rights Advocacy and Legal Aid
- NAICS
- Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Rights, Privacy & Free Expression Advocacy (BPAGAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)
Keywords
Where STOP is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
STOP business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit relying on tax-deductible donations from individuals and grants from foundations. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is mentioned as a supporter of their Roadblock to Care report.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
STOP product offering
Product offeringCore offering
STOP (Surveillance Technology Oversight Project) is a New York-based non-profit advocacy organization that runs a virtual law firm providing free legal services to individuals targeted by discriminatory surveillance, while conducting legislative advocacy, policy research, and privacy education to advance civil liberties protections.
Product overview
STOP (Surveillance Technology Oversight Project) is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider, not a commercial technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of services including a virtual law firm providing free legal representation, legislative advocacy campaigns, privacy education and training programs, and research publications—all focused on ending discriminatory surveillance and protecting civil rights.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Virtual Law Firm Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully advocated for NYC Council passage of POST Act amendments (Introductions 480 and 168) closing surveillance transparency loopholes
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use STOP
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
STOP technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
STOP partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Morgan State UniversitycoreSTOP partnered with Morgan State University to release the 'People's Handbook of NYC Surveillance,' a comprehensive community resource on surveillance technologies.
- Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP (ECBAWM)coreECBAWM, a leading civil rights law firm, partnered with STOP to file a federal civil rights lawsuit challenging NYPD's Domain Awareness System as unconstitutional.
- New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC)coreSTOP is a coalition partner in the NY4All campaign, led by NYIC, pushing for reforms to protect due process and limit ICE access to local resources.
- Coalition Partners (32 Civil Rights Organizations)coreSTOP joined 31 other civil rights groups in submitting a memo of support demanding NYC Council pass bills banning facial recognition in residential buildings and public accommodations.
- NYCLU (New York Civil Liberties Union)coreSTOP works with NYCLU on surveillance transparency advocacy, including joint legislative memo on prohibiting reverse location and reverse keyword searches.
- Legal Aid SocietycorePartner in transparency advocacy coalition calling for strengthening New York's Freedom of Information Law during Sunshine Week.
- IPVMminorSTOP partnered with IPVM (Internet Protocol Video Market) to conduct joint research on Evolv weapon detectors, publishing the report 'Stand By Me: NYC Venues Stick With Evolv Despite Failures.'
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
STOP competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Mijente: Latinx and immigrant-centered digital rights and surveillance reform organization. Shares STOP's focus on how surveillance disproportionately impacts communities of color and immigrants.
- Fight for the Future: Digital rights advocacy organization running campaigns on facial recognition bans, net neutrality, and surveillance reform. Comparable to STOP in campaign-driven digital rights advocacy, though more web-activism focused than litigation-focused.
- Muslim Advocates: National civil rights organization advocating for Muslim Americans against discriminatory surveillance and profiling. Directly comparable in serving the same disproportionately-impacted communities STOP prioritizes.
Regional players
- Privacy International: UK-based charity investigating and challenging government surveillance. Comparable to STOP in mission and advocacy approach, but operating across different jurisdictions and regulatory environments.
Direct peers
- Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT): Nonprofit that advocates for digital rights and surveillance reform through policy engagement, litigation, and research. CDT is highly comparable to STOP in combining policy advocacy with technical expertise on emerging surveillance technologies.
- Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): National nonprofit focused on digital rights, privacy, and surveillance litigation. EFF is the most direct national peer to STOP, sharing a virtual law firm-style impact litigation model and digital civil liberties focus.
- Brennan Center for Justice: NYU-affiliated nonpartisan law and policy institute focused on surveillance, criminal justice, and democracy reform. Brennan Center engages in impact litigation and research on surveillance technology directly overlapping STOP's portfolio.
- New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU): The New York state affiliate of the ACLU. NYCLU is STOP's closest operating peer, working on overlapping surveillance transparency legislation and civil rights litigation in the same NYC/NYS jurisdiction.
Others
- New America: Think tank with an Open Technology Institute that conducts research and policy work on surveillance, privacy, and security. Adjacent peer producing comparable research outputs and policy commentary, but not a litigation-focused advocacy organization.
Broad incumbents
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): The largest U.S. civil liberties organization with national surveillance and privacy advocacy programs. ACLU is a broad incumbent operating in STOP's space but at far greater scale and with a wider civil rights portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
STOP social profiles
Digital presenceSTOP financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
STOP leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
STOP funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
STOP M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about STOP
What does STOP do?
STOP (Surveillance Technology Oversight Project) is a New York-based non-profit advocacy organization that runs a virtual law firm providing free legal services to individuals targeted by discriminatory surveillance, while conducting legislative advocacy, policy research, and privacy education to advance civil liberties protections.
Is STOP a public or private company?
STOP is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was STOP founded?
STOP was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is STOP based?
STOP is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does STOP make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Grants.
Who are STOP's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Mijente, Fight for the Future and Muslim Advocates. Privacy International is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Brennan Center for Justice and New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU). New America is listed as an others. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does STOP have an API?
No public API is recorded for STOP.
What industry is STOP in?
STOP's product category is Civil Rights Advocacy and Legal Aid. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAL, Digital Rights, Privacy & Free Expression Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPAGAFAA, Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy. Its NAICS code is 8133 and its SIC code is 8111.