Facial Recognition Sales: The Watchful Eye

Context

Law enforcement wants your facial recognition tech – it could catch criminals faster and locate missing persons. But it's flawed, misidentifying minorities at alarming rates. Civil rights groups are protesting, and the city council is divided.

Dilemma

Do you:
A) Sell the technology widely, securing a lucrative government contract, despite the risks of misidentification? Or
B) Restrict sales to specific, controlled uses, limiting profits, but protecting civil liberties?

Summary

Facial recognition technology, used widely, is largely unregulated and biased. Studies show error rates are significantly higher for people of color and women, with a 34.7% error rate for darker-skinned women compared to 0.8% for light-skinned men. The ACLU-MN highlights its use in indiscriminate surveillance, racial profiling, and targeting vulnerable groups. They cite cases of false arrests due to misidentification and argue the technology violates constitutional rights. They advocate for a statewide ban, emphasizing the need for regulation to address inherent biases.

Resources:

• https://www.aclu-mn.org/en/news/biased-technology-automated-discrimination-facial-recognition