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Children’s Privacy: London’s Metropolitan Police criticized for youth profiling with Project Alpha initiative

A program designed to curb youth violence and curtail gang activity is proving controversial for London’s Metropolitan police. Project Alpha, which is funded by the Home Office, has claimed it consulted with a range of youth organizations before launching its initiative to monitor social media favored by youth for warning signs of threats. But several of the organizations listed as being contacted for consultation have said they had never been formally approached and questions have been raised about whether racial profiling of teens has taken place.