Senators Introduce Bill to Ban Government Use of Biometric and Facial Recognition Tech
A group of Democratic senators and representatives reintroduces legislation to prohibit federal entities from using facial recognition and other biometric technologies. The bill also blocks federal funding for local law enforcement agencies that utilize these surveillance tools.
Senators Edward Markey and Jeff Merkley lead a group of lawmakers in reintroducing the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act. This bicameral legislation aims to stop all federal government entities from using facial recognition and other biometric technologies. The bill also effectively strips federal support and funding from state and local law enforcement agencies that continue to use these surveillance tools.
The proposed ban responds to the widespread and unregulated use of facial recognition technology across hundreds of local, state, and federal agencies. Lawmakers highlight that roughly half of all American adults are already included in facial recognition databases without their explicit consent. This rampant proliferation prompts urgent legislative action to halt government surveillance until strict regulations are established.
Experts and studies from the National Institute of Standards and Technology show that facial recognition tools are significantly less accurate when analyzing data from vulnerable populations. The technology misidentifies Black, Brown, and Asian individuals up to 100 times more often than white men. Lawmakers argue that these dangerous biases make the technology completely unsuitable for law enforcement and government use.