A book authored by GW Law Professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson was featured on the August 2 episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO.
Oliver cited Professor Ferguson’s book, Your Data Will Be Used Against You: Policing in the Age of Self-Surveillance, in the episode, which was about police surveillance technology. The book, published in March 2026, explores how police and prosecutors use data collected by smart technologies, such as smart cameras, smart cars, smart homes, smart watches, and smart medical devices, in criminal investigations and cases.
Professor Ferguson has been featured in numerous national news articles, TV segments, and radio spots since publishing the book, including in outlets such as The Boston Globe, NBC News, NPR, The Washington Post, Wired, and more.
“Credit to John Oliver and his staff for taking the time to talk with legal experts about these important national issues,” Professor Ferguson said. “I am thankful that the ideas in the book got shared with a broader audience in such a brilliant, cutting, and comedic manner.”
Professor Ferguson national expert on predictive policing, facial recognition, video analytics, big data surveillance, and the Fourth Amendment. He has written over 40 law review articles and book chapters in addition to authoring four books.
In addition to Your Data Will Be Used Against You, Professor Ferguson authored The Rise of Big Data Policing: Surveillance, Race, and the Future of Law Enforcement, which won the Association of American Publishers 2018 Prose Award for Law and Legal Studies; Why Jury Duty Matters: A Citizen’s Guide to Constitutional Action; and The Law of Law School: The Essential Guide for First Year Law Students.
Watch a clip of the Last Week Tonight With John Oliver episode featuring Professor Ferguson's book.
