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Lawmakers are drafting new legislation to modify, alter or otherwise curtail the use of facial recognition by police departments and other law enforcement agencies. The hope is to reign in the public outrage over police misconduct and racial inequalities. The big concern is that facial recognition tools promote bias by misidentifying people, especially people of color. Law enforcement agencies use facial recognition products to track suspects, find missing persons and generally keep tabs on certain people and/or certain groups of people.
In light of recent events, Amazon and Microsoft have both announced that they are not going to sell their facial recognition technology to policing agencies, at least temporarily. IBM has ceased their sales of facial recognition technology permanently. While several other smaller entities have elected to continue to sale facial recognition software technology to governmental agencies.
Civil rights groups are vehemently opposed to the government’s use of facial recognition as a form of policing. Groups have implored law makers to mandate uniformity of facial recognition rules so as to protect the public at large. It will be interesting to see if the ‘powers-that-be’ can come together to create an acceptable level of facial recognition technology use. No time like the present, as they say … but knowing how our elected officials operate, no one should be holding their breath.
If you or a loved one is facing a criminal charge (a misdemeanor or otherwise) don’t hesitate to hire a qualified Seattle Criminal Defense Lawyer. The Seattle Criminal Defense Attorneys that make up the criminal defense team of SQ Attorneys are highly qualified and reputable Seattle criminal attorneys that are dedicated to providing top notch, aggressive representation for those arrested or charged for crime all across Western Washington and the Greater Puget Sound region. The team creates success by working with law enforcement and the prosecuting attorney’s office to ensure that all facts and circumstances related to the allegations are considered in creating the fairest, most equitable and just resolution possible in light of all the surrounding circumstances of the given case. So, whether you are cited with an infraction or arrested and/or charged with misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor or a felony, protect yourself … call SQ Attorneys at (206) 441-0900.