Madison Square Garden reportedly disabled most of its internal camera network and face-recognition access during Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding celebrations, following a client privacy request. The move is notable because MSG owner James Dolan has strongly defended the venue’s extensive surveillance as essential to security, while critics have alleged that its facial-recognition system has also been used to exclude perceived opponents.

An internal document seen by WIRED said the seven-hour shutdown began at 3pm on 2 July, leaving access only to a small group of executives and engineers; sources said a similar lockout occurred on the wedding night. Security around the venue was otherwise heavy, with about 130 police officers deployed, and organisers reportedly used NDAs, covered vehicle areas and a no-phone policy to protect guests’ privacy.