As the 2026 World Cup concludes, a less visible victory goes to surveillance-tech providers embedding extensive monitoring systems across US, Mexican and Canadian host cities, raising concerns about accountability and privacy safeguards.
- Over $846 million federal funds supported enhanced surveillance and drone defenses in US host cities.
- At least 21 companies supplied technologies spanning data integration, predictive policing, and communications interception.
- Most host cities did not fully implement human rights plans addressing surveillance impacts, with few exceptions.
What happened
The 2026 World Cup, hosted jointly by the US, Mexico, and Canada, was secured through a complex ecosystem of surveillance technologies aimed at monitoring attendees and local populations in the 16 host cities. These technologies include extensive CCTV networks, drone surveillance, data harvesting, predictive policing systems, and integrated command centers operated by law enforcement agencies.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), via the US Department of Homeland Security, awarded $846 million in grants to strengthen security and drone threat capabilities primarily in US cities, which supplemented local investments. Prominent security contractors, including Axon and Booz Allen Hamilton, secured contracts augmenting this surveillance infrastructure.
Why it matters
The deployment of such a wide surveillance apparatus normalizes continuous monitoring and data collection of public spaces without clear legal or human rights oversight, posing risks to privacy and civil liberties. The concept of a 'surveillance stack' describes this layered technology approach that frequently bypasses traditional legal warrant systems and undermines transparency.
Despite FIFA's first-time mandate requiring host cities to create human rights action plans, the majority of cities either delayed publication or offered incomplete frameworks that failed to address potential human rights impacts adequately. Only a handful of cities, such as Boston, Toronto, and Vancouver, explicitly incorporated privacy rights, with Vancouver uniquely planning the post-event dismantling of surveillance technology.
What to watch next
Attention will focus on the post-World Cup period and whether municipalities follow through with dismantling or rolling back expanded surveillance measures, especially in jurisdictions lacking clear exit strategies. Monitoring civil society responses and any regulatory or legislative initiatives prompted by these developments will be critical to protecting privacy rights.
Further scrutiny is expected on the corporations involved, particularly how contracts are awarded and how technology continues to be integrated into policing and public safety strategies beyond major events. Human rights and privacy advocacy groups will likely push for stronger accountability mechanisms and clearer limits on surveillance powers in host cities and beyond.