Buffalo Police seek approval to use Dataminr’s ‘First Alert’ platform. The company had previously been criticized for its collection of social media content.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Police are looking to enter a two-year deal with a company called Dataminr, and use its “First Alert” platform.
According to the Dataminr website, First Alert is a tool that “alerts first responders to breaking events, enabling the fastest real-time response.”
Dataminr uses “public data point,” which is their way of referring to social media posts, blogs, various sensors and even the dark web, to produce alerts for first responders. Dataminr is an official partner of X, formerly known as Twitter, and has access to content on that platform.
The two-year contract will cost the city $82,800 and provide four licenses to the department, according to the filing with the Common Council.
“First Alert transforms publicly available information into actionable breaking news alerts, identifying the most relevant information in real …