Why Big Tech Wants (Some) Facial Recognition Rules

The EU has proposed new rules that would require any facial recognition systems to undergo audits by external bodies before being deployed in the region to ensure they won’t lead to discrimination. For law enforcement, EU officials banned the use of real-time facial recognition and other remote biometric identification systems, unless used to prevent a terror attack, find missing children or tackle other specific public security emergencies. The rules, which still need approval by the European Parliament and the bloc’s member states before they become law, have already faced pushback from rights advocates warning the draft allows for too many exceptions. In the U.S., bills involving facial recognition have been introduced in 11 state legislatures, ranging from a proposed ban on real-time use of the technology in Michigan to a requirement that stores in Vermont notify consumers if a system is in use. A handful of cities, including San Francisco and Cambridge, Massachusetts, have banned the use of the technology by their police or other agencies altogether. At the federal level, lawmakers from both major parties have discussed bills to force a moratorium on adoption of facial recognition systems by government agencies, but none have moved forward.