SIA Raises Concern Over Facial Recognition Ban in Baltimore

BALTIMORE — Members of the Baltimore City Council Public Safety Committee on Wednesday unanimously passed a temporary ban on the use of facial recognition in Baltimore.

The action to advance a proposal that would ban nearly all applications of facial recognition technology in the city does not include the Baltimore Police Department. The bill will now move from committee to Baltimore City Council June 8.

Prior to the vote, the Security Industry Association (SIA) and other leading technology and business groups wrote a letter to the committee expressing concerns about the profound negative impact of the measure for residents of Baltimore. The letter noted, “[prohibiting] access to opt-in customer experience conveniences, whether in retail, health care or other settings, is much broader than the concerns raised around law enforcement and government applications.”

While a number of U.S. cities have banned used of the technology by city agencies, the proposal is only the second in the nation after a measure in Portland, Oregon, to restrict business use, and the first ever to criminalize even consumer applications of the technology, according to SIA.

The organizations noted that the proposed ordinance, as currently drafted, would prohibit banks from using facial recognition technology to enhance consumer security in financial transactions, prevent retailers from speeding checkout lines with contactless payment and prohibit remote online identity document verification needed by online sellers or gig economy workers.

Also detailed in the letter were the even more significant negative human impacts of prohibiting applications that provide increased and customized accessibility for disabled persons and banning technology that assists people suffering from blindness, memory loss or prosopagnosia (face blindness) in recognizing friends and others.

“Baltimore leaders should seize the opportunity to support a balanced, common sense policy for the use of facial recognition that safeguards access to innovative services for city residents and serves as a model policy for other local jurisdictions,” says SIA CEO Don Erickson.

He continues, “Unfortunately, an outright ban on facial recognition continues a distressing pattern in which the clear value of this technology is ignored. In such cases, it is local businesses and residents who stand to lose the most. SIA remains a willing participant in any genuine discussion that could lead to more rational policymaking.”

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation additionally reacted to the measure as “shockingly out of line with the current state of facial recognition technology and its growing adoption in many sectors of the economy,” and even one of the most vocal advocacy groups calling for a ban on facial recognition technology and extreme limits on others, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, opposes banning private sector use as a step too far.

SIA states that it believes all technology products, including facial recognition, must only be used for purposes that are lawful, ethical and nondiscriminatory. In August 2020, SIA released new policy principles for the development and deployment of facial recognition technology, which include guidelines around the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement and the public and private sectors.

“We urge the Council to continue dialogue with affected stakeholders to ensure such concerns can be addressed in a thoughtful and reasonable way and recommend SIA’s Principles for the Responsible and Effective Use of Facial Recognition Technology as helpful guidance in addressing these issues,” says Erickson.

The joint letter came on the heels of a request to President Joe Biden from the airline, travel, security and biometrics sectors, as well as the U.S. business community, urging rejection of a ban approach and  adoption of policy recommendations for additional research, development, testing and government accountability measures.

The post SIA Raises Concern Over Facial Recognition Ban in Baltimore appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.



from News – Security Sales & Integration https://www.securitysales.com/business/sia-facial-recognition-ban-baltimore/
via IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Total Tech Summit Puts Call Out for Top Integrators to Apply Now

Image
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Total Tech Summit announces that applications are now being accepted to attend this year’s event. Comprised of the  SSI Summit, CE Pro Summit and Commercial Integrator Summit, this year’s event will take place in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Nov. 13-15. At this all-expense-paid, exclusive event, VIP guests will have the chance to sit in on industry-defining sessions, key boardroom presentations, and be able to meet one-on-one with potential vendors. Total Tech Summit brings together the best in class to share ideas, learn from others, and most importantly, accelerating the next stage of their businesses. It is the only event of its kind that bridges channels and connections by bringing together professional security, commercial AV and residential AV integrators. Another perk of the Total Tech Summit is the VIP Peer-to-Peer groups. These group conversations take place throughout the months leading up to the event and are guided by the editors of t
Read more

Evolv Technology, Pittsburgh Pirates Team Up for Fan-Friendly Ballpark Security

Image
WALTHAM, Mass.—Evolv Technology has announced its partnership with Major League Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates, adding to the growing list of Pittsburgh, Pa. venues that have teamed up with Evolv to help keep people safe, including the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. When the Pirates opened the gates at PNC Park for the 2023 MLB season in early April, all attending fans passed through Evolv’s state-of-the-art Evolv Express screening solution, which uses sensor technology with artificial intelligence (AI) to provide safer, more accurate threat detection at unprecedented volume and speed, the company states. Fans can now walk through without always having to stop or open bags, reducing long lines and allowing guests to make their way directly into the ballpark. “What continues to make PNC Park so special, aside from the physical design, is the total fan experience. That begins from the moment they walk up to our gates,” said Travis Willi
Read more

Minnesota AG Calls for Cancellation of Home Security Contracts for Alleged Fraud

STEARNS COUNTY, Minn. — Bring Me the News reports that Minnesota’s Attorney General, Keith Ellison, says he’s gotten consumers in Stearns County out of home security contracts after they were misled by a door-to-door salesman. According to the report, Ellison’s office announced that home security companies Skyline Security Management and Safe Home Security have agreed to their cancel contracts with customers in and around Stearns County who purchased their systems from door-to-door salesman Gary Harvey. “Door-to-door salesmen and their employers are in the business of trust-building,” Ellison said in a statement. “They know they need to have your trust to sell you their products, particularly expensive products like security systems that are supposed to keep your home safe. When that trust is betrayed, it’s emotionally and financially painful. I appreciate Skyline and Safe Home taking the right step in canceling these contracts while my office does what we can under the law to hold M
Read more