NYPD suspends surveillance deal with 'Israeli' company Cognyte

• New York City's Police Department (NYPD) has suspended plans for a $750,500 contract with 'Israeli' surveillance company Cognyte following public and political backlash.
• The department will reopen the procurement process, although Cognyte remains eligible to compete for the contract.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) has suspended plans to award a $750,500 contract to 'Israeli' surveillance technology company Cognyte following criticism from civil rights groups and allies of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The proposed three-year contract involved purchasing FalcoNet, a mobile surveillance system capable of mimicking cellphone towers and forcing nearby phones to connect to it, allowing authorities to identify and track mobile devices.

The equipment can be mounted on police vehicles or drones, raising concerns about the potential collection of information from people who are not targets of investigations.

The NYPD had been negotiating with Cognyte since December 2025 to acquire the technology through a no-bid contract.

However, the proposal drew criticism from civil liberties advocates and progressive politicians, who warned that the system could enable intrusive surveillance of New York residents.

The decision to suspend the sole-source procurement followed mounting criticism and a meeting between Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, according to the New York Daily News.

An NYPD spokesperson said the proposed purchase did not meet the requirements for a sole-source contract and that the department would move to an open, competitive procurement process.

Despite the suspension, the decision does not amount to a complete cancellation of the proposed purchase.

Cognyte remains eligible to submit a bid alongside other companies competing to supply the technology. The NYPD has not announced which company will ultimately receive the contract.

The controversy has also renewed scrutiny of Cognyte's international surveillance business and concerns raised by human rights organizations over the use of surveillance technologies against political opponents and dissidents.