Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Ban Government Facial Recognition
A group of senators introduces legislation to prohibit federal agencies from using facial recognition and other biometric technologies due to severe accuracy and privacy concerns.
Sens. Edward Markey and Jeff Merkley lead a group of lawmakers in introducing the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act to stop federal entities from using facial recognition and other biometric tools. This legislation responds to the widespread and unregulated use of these technologies by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies across the country.
The bill highlights alarming research showing that roughly half of all American adults are already included in facial recognition databases. Furthermore, experts find that these tools are significantly less accurate when analyzing biometric data from vulnerable and marginalized populations.
In addition to banning federal use, the legislation effectively strips federal funding and support from state and local law enforcement agencies that continue to employ biometric technology. Studies show that Black, Brown, and Asian individuals are up to 100 times more likely to be misidentified by these systems compared to white men.