Artist Morry Kolman made a website called Traffic Cam Photobooth that lets people take “selfies” using publicly-available feeds from traffic camer

Traffic Camera 'Selfie' Creator Holds Cease and Desist Letter in Front of Traffic Cam

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2024-12-13 03:00:04

Artist Morry Kolman made a website called Traffic Cam Photobooth that lets people take “selfies” using publicly-available feeds from traffic cameras. The New York City Department of Transportation sent him a cease and desist letter demanding he cut it out. In response, he kept the site online and held the letter up to a traffic camera, according to Kolman’s posts on social media.

In the letter sent on November 6, NYC DOT demands Kolman “immediately remove and disable all portions of TCP’s website that relates to NYC traffic cameras and/or encourages members of the public to engage in dangerous and unauthorized behavior.” The department claims in the letter that Kolman’s project is “promoting the unauthorized use of NYC traffic cameras” and “encourages pedestrians to violate NYC traffic rules and engage in dangerous behavior.”

At the time of writing the site is still up and functional, and I can still go to my nearest traffic camera and take a selfie with it. On the page before taking a photo, there’s a list of steps: first is to get in frame by refreshing the camera, and second is “don’t get run over.” There’s also a checkbox that’s required before taking the photo that affirms users agree to abide by local traffic laws: “I agree not to use Traffic Cam Photobooth for any unlawful purpose. I will comply with all local laws while using Traffic Cam Photobooth, and I will not use Traffic Cam Photobooth in a manner that creates a foreseeable risk of harm or danger to myself or others. I have read and agree to these terms.”