San Francisco Becomes First US City to Ban Facial Recognition
San Francisco officially outlaws the use of facial recognition technology by police and other city agencies, citing serious privacy and civil liberties concerns. The groundbreaking measure makes the city the first in the United States to implement such a sweeping ban.
San Francisco passes a historic ban on facial recognition technology, becoming the first major US city to prohibit police and government agencies from using the software. The Board of Supervisors votes 8-to-1 in favor of the "Stop Secret Surveillance" ordinance, which prevents city departments from utilizing tools that track people's faces in public spaces.
The legislation stems from growing concerns about privacy, potential bias, and the risk of turning the city into a surveillance state. Civil liberties groups argue that the technology frequently misidentifies women and people of color, which leads to false accusations and unjust profiling by law enforcement.
While the ban blocks facial recognition, it allows police to continue using other surveillance tools like body cameras and license plate readers. The new law also requires city agencies to disclose what surveillance equipment they currently use and to seek board approval before adopting any new monitoring technologies in the future.