Speakers urge Minneapolis council to cut $500,000 Zen City contract, citing surveillance and privacy risks
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Summary
At a Nov. 19 public hearing on the mayor—s 2026 budget, dozens of speakers asked the Minneapolis City Council to defund a $500,000 contract with Zen City, calling it a surveillance tool with ties to Israeli intelligence and urging that funds be redirected to community safety programs and services.
Dozens of residents told the Minneapolis City Budget Committee on Nov. 19 that a proposed $500,000 line item for a contract with Zen City should be cut from the 2026 budget.
Speakers characterized Zen City as a private company that mines social-media and other digital activity to produce public-opinion surveys and, they said, surveillance products. "I do not want my tax dollars going towards using my social media algorithm to pull me about the MPD," said Carolyn Hockey during public comment, and multiple speakers repeated concerns about ties between Zen City—s leadership and Israeli intelligence services as a reason to end the contract.
Organizers submitted over 2,000 signatures this summer urging the council to defund the contract; Hosina Manu of the Cut the Contract campaign told the committee that canceling the contract by Dec. 1 would save roughly $112,500 in 2026, an estimate cited by speakers. Testimony emphasized that the money could instead support neighborhood safety initiatives, services for people experiencing homelessness, or co-enforcement programs that assist workers.
Speakers who oppose the contract also raised transparency and data-storage questions. "The city of Minneapolis has not provided clear answers on what information Zen City collects, how it is stored, or for how long it is kept," said Erin Stini, an organizer with the Cut the Contract coalition. Several speakers said that uncertain data practices could put undocumented residents at risk.
Not all commenters framed the issue as privacy alone. Some argued the survey contract yields little operational benefit to the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and that the department has not published changes based on earlier survey work. Others said money spent on contracting with a private contractor is less valuable than direct investment in community-driven outreach and services.
The committee did not take any vote on the contract during the hearing. The mayor—s recommended budget and the board of estimate and taxation—s levy authorization remain under committee review, and the council will consider revisions at subsequent meetings including a statutorily required Truth in Taxation hearing on Dec. 9.