Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen is funding the installation of surveillance cameras in San Francisco's Castro District, which has been known as a gay mecca since the 1960s. He has reportedly contributed $700,000 to the controversial project, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The initiative—which is supposed to prevent crime—has attracted severe criticism from activists who believe that beefing up surveillance would further erode the district's privacy.
Alex DovbnyaAmerica's oldest LGBT-focused Democratic Club, Alice B. Toklas, spoke against the "dangerous plan" in a statement:
We encourage everyone who values (what) makes the Castro special to speak out against this dangerous plan.
Larsen has been installing cameras all over San Francisco since 2012, raising privacy concerns within some communities.
Vladislav Sopov
Dan Burgin