Senator Markey Introduces Bill to Stop the Government’s Use of Face Surveillance and Other Biometric Surveillance Tech
Senator Ed Markey has introduced legislation that would prohibit federal government use of facial recognition and other biometric surveillance technologies. The bill represents one of the more sweeping proposed federal restrictions on government biometric data collection to date.
Why this matters: Facial recognition is already in airports, at borders, and in federal law enforcement. It misidentifies people at higher rates when they are not white, and once the government has your face in a database, you do not get it back. A federal ban would be a real line in the sand. Bills like this rarely pass the first time, but they shift what is politically possible. The question is whether Congress actually wants limits on this, or just wants to be seen wanting them.
Who should care: Privacy officers · Cybersecurity · General readers · Policy
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