"Now, a tech company's billboard appears to have crossed a new line. A billboard near the intersection of Valencia and Liberty Streets sneeringly refers to a San Francisco neighborhood as "Gotham." "Work in Pac Heights not Gotham (SOMA)," reads the black billboard, posted by San Francisco-headquartered AI security company PromptArmor. Below, the advert lists an email address for job applicants."
"In DC Comics, "Gotham" is the name of Batman's home city. While the city's specific features vary across "Batman" adaptations, Gotham invariably appears as a city ridden with crime and corruption. SoMa, meanwhile, is a neighborhood in downtown San Francisco where many tech companies rent their offices. SoMa was one of only two San Francisco neighborhoods where property crime rates increased in the first four months of 2025, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report in May."
A San Francisco-headquartered AI security company, PromptArmor, placed a black billboard near Valencia and Liberty Streets labeling SoMa as "Gotham" and listing an email for job applicants. The advert reads "Work in Pac Heights not Gotham (SOMA)," contrasting SoMa with Pacific Heights. SoMa experienced an increase in property crime in the first four months of 2025 and previously had a high number of sidewalk tents. Local officials dispatched Urban Alchemy community ambassadors to Sixth Street to address open-air drug use and unpermitted vending. Pacific Heights is described as a pristine, hilly, affluent neighborhood with prominent residents.
Read at SFGATE
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]