ACLU-MN Pushes to Make Minnesota First State to Ban Facial Recognition
The ACLU of Minnesota is lobbying for a statewide ban on law enforcement use of facial recognition technology due to its documented racial and gender biases. If successful, Minnesota would become the first state in the country to implement such a prohibition.
Facial recognition technology is a pervasive part of modern life, but it remains deeply flawed and largely unregulated. The ACLU of Minnesota highlights that this technology does not exist outside of societal biases, noting that studies consistently show it is least reliable for people of color, women, and nonbinary individuals.
When law enforcement agencies utilize this inaccurate technology, it essentially automates discrimination and creates life-threatening situations for marginalized communities. The ACLU-MN argues that the tool provides authorities with blanket, indiscriminate surveillance capabilities that intensify the racial and gender biases already present in the criminal justice system.
To combat these dangers, the ACLU-MN is fighting during the current legislative session to completely ban law enforcement's use of facial recognition in the state. While over a dozen large cities, including Minneapolis, Boston, and San Francisco, have already enacted local bans, Minnesota has the opportunity to become the very first state to pass this vital protection into law.