FTC Rule Sought to Ban Amazon, Other Face Scans

The FTC should use its rulemaking authority to ban “corporate use” of face-scanning technology, nearly 50 advocacy groups wrote Thursday. Fight for the Future, MediaJustice, Open Markets Institute, Open MIC and Public Citizen signed the letter, which says Amazon is the “perfect case study to showcase” dangers of corporate surveillance. They cited security and privacy threats for “Amazon’s smart home ecosystem, deceptive use of facial recognition technology, and the tech giant’s ever-expanding partnerships with police departments in over 2,000 cities.” They urged a ban on continuous surveillance in places of public accommodation and an end to “industry-wide data abuse.” The FTC and Amazon didn’t comment.