Facial Recognition Tech Banned in Berkeley

Berkeley, California, can’t use facial recognition technology after the City Council unanimously adopted a law Tuesday evening stopping the city from acquiring, retaining, requesting, accessing or using any facial recognition technology or information obtained from such tech. The vote had no “impact on any existing or planned staff operations,” the city’s spokesperson emailed Wednesday. “City staff have never sought the use of facial recognition software, nor do we have any in place. Under our existing surveillance ordinance, City staff would have had to go to the City Council for explicit permission to purchase and use surveillance technologies, including facial recognition software.” Berkeley is the fourth U.S. city to pass such a ban, Fight for the Future said Wednesday. “The epidemic spread of facial recognition is a human rights crisis,” said Fight for the Future Deputy Director Evan Greer, “but we still have a chance to draw a line in the sand.”