Microsoft joins Amazon in banning face-recognition technology sales to police
4 years, 6 months ago

Microsoft joins Amazon in banning face-recognition technology sales to police

The Hindu  

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it would await federal regulation before selling facial recognition technology to police, making it the latest big firm to back away from the business following protests against law enforcement brutality and bias. The announcement came shortly after rival Amazon.com Inc declared it was pausing police use of its “Rekognition" service for a year and International Business Machines Corp said it no longer offers the software generally. “We do not sell our facial recognition technology to U.S. police departments today, and until there is a strong national law grounded in human rights, we will not sell this technology to police,” the company said. “This program was an innovation in law enforcement technology worth exploring, but until stronger regulations to govern the ethical use of it are in place, our program has been suspended indefinitely,” the office said on Thursday in an internal memo seen by Reuters.

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History of this topic

How the East got ahead of the West on facial recognition technology
5 months ago

How the East got ahead of the West on facial recognition technology

Live Mint  

In 2020, Microsoft, Amazon and IBM announced they would halt the sale of facial recognition technology to police forces. China has invested heavily in facial recognition technology, with claims of high accuracy rates supported by large-scale data collection and integration with various surveillance and identification systems. Regulatory frameworks in India and China also tend to be less stringent than in …

The shocking rise of shoplifting: Map reveals retail theft hotspots across Britain after 365,000 cases in the past year - so is YOUR area on the list?
1 year, 2 months ago

The shocking rise of shoplifting: Map reveals retail theft hotspots across Britain after 365,000 cases in the past year - so is YOUR area on the list?

Daily Mail  

Shoplifting has surged by 25 per cent – in the latest shocking sign of lawlessness in 'Wild West Britain'. Overall, police recorded crime in England and Wales was 4% higher than the previous year with 6.7million crimes recorded compared with 6.5million in the year ending June 2022, according to the Office of National Statistics. Knife possession offences were also up …

‘Game-changing’ facial recognition technology catches prolific shoplifters
1 year, 2 months ago

‘Game-changing’ facial recognition technology catches prolific shoplifters

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Britain’s biggest police force is using “game-changing” facial recognition technology to catch prolific …

Putative class action suit against Microsoft, Amazon for violating biometric privacy laws dismissed by U.S. court
2 years, 2 months ago

Putative class action suit against Microsoft, Amazon for violating biometric privacy laws dismissed by U.S. court

The Hindu  

Two U.S. residents who claimed that Microsoft and Amazon violated the Biometric Information Privacy Act by using their photos to train facial recognition software, saw their putative class actions dismissed by a Washington federal judge on Monday. Microsoft and Amazon, which dominate the cloud-computing space, used IBM's 'Diversity in Faces' dataset to train their own facial recognition tools. However, Illinois …

Police Commission sets new rules for how LAPD uses surveillance technology
2 years, 4 months ago

Police Commission sets new rules for how LAPD uses surveillance technology

LA Times  

LAPD Chief Michel Moore in 2020. This week, Moore voiced support for new rules on how the department can use surveillance technology, saying they would be “valuable in building public trust.” The Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday adopted new rules for how police can use crimefighting technologies, despite opposition from advocacy groups who said they could lead to increased …

Privacy group complains of ‘unlawful’ facial recognition at convenience stores
2 years, 5 months ago

Privacy group complains of ‘unlawful’ facial recognition at convenience stores

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Privacy rights group Big Brother …

Microsoft To Stop Selling Its Emotion-Reading Tech, Limit Access To Facial Recognition Tech: What It Means
2 years, 6 months ago

Microsoft To Stop Selling Its Emotion-Reading Tech, Limit Access To Facial Recognition Tech: What It Means

News 18  

OAKLAND, Calif.: Microsoft Corp on Tuesday said it would stop selling technology that guesses someone's emotion based on a facial image and would no longer provide unfettered access to facial recognition technology. "These efforts raised important questions about privacy, the lack of consensus on a definition of 'emotions,' and the inability to generalize the linkage between facial expression and emotional …

Microsoft stops selling emotion-reading tech, limits face recognition
2 years, 6 months ago

Microsoft stops selling emotion-reading tech, limits face recognition

The Hindu  

Microsoft Corp on Tuesday said it would stop selling technology that guesses someone's emotion based on a facial image and would no longer provide unfettered access to facial recognition technology. "These efforts raised important questions about privacy, the lack of consensus on a definition of 'emotions,' and the inability to generalize the linkage between facial expression and emotional state across …

Editorial: Police body cams shouldn’t be surveillance tools
2 years, 7 months ago

Editorial: Police body cams shouldn’t be surveillance tools

LA Times  

Police body cameras and facial recognition technology serve two completely different purposes and shouldn’t be combined. Body cams record officer interactions with the public and make police less likely to fib about what they did or why, because they know there will be a reviewable recording. It infringes on privacy — with little benefit to public safety, because facial recognition …

Investors call for ethical approach to facial recognition technology
3 years, 7 months ago

Investors call for ethical approach to facial recognition technology

The Hindu  

A group of 50 investors managing more than $4.5 trillion in assets is calling on companies involved in the development and use of facial recognition technology, such as Amazon and Facebook, to do so in an ethical way. Human rights advocates say face recognition technology, which can be used to unlock smart phones or verify bank accounts, also has the …

Apple prohibits manufacturers from collecting facial scans, biometric data of employees
3 years, 9 months ago

Apple prohibits manufacturers from collecting facial scans, biometric data of employees

India Today  

Apple has introduced new guidelines for its employees all over the world that prohibit manufacturing partners and suppliers to collect biometric data from Apple employees. According to online reports, Apple has prohibited its manufacturing partners from collecting biometric data such as fingerprints or facial scans of Apple employees who visit their facilities. The new rules, however, do not apply to …

U.S. lawmakers aim to curtail face recognition even as the technology IDs Capitol attackers
3 years, 11 months ago

U.S. lawmakers aim to curtail face recognition even as the technology IDs Capitol attackers

The Hindu  

U.S. lawmakers are moving ahead with efforts to ban facial recognition software even as the technology helps identify supporters of President Donald Trump who ransacked their workplace and forced them to evacuate this month. Sheldon said he provided the FBI possible names of several people in the violent mob thanks to a facial recognition program he purchased. Markey last year …

Face recognition violates human rights, says U.K. court
4 years, 4 months ago

Face recognition violates human rights, says U.K. court

The Hindu  

The use of facial recognition technology by British police has violated human rights and data protection laws, a court said Tuesday, in a decision praised as a victory against invasive practices by the authorities. In a case trumpeted as the first of its kind, Britain’s Court of Appeal ruled Tuesday in the case of civil rights campaigner Ed Bridges, who …

Microsoft president calls for federal regulation of facial recognition technology
4 years, 6 months ago

Microsoft president calls for federal regulation of facial recognition technology

CNN  

New York CNN Business — In addition to Microsoft’s moratorium on selling facial recognition to US police departments, the company currently does not sell the technology to federal law enforcement, Microsoft President Brad Smith said during an interview with Politico Thursday. “We don’t provide facial recognition technology today to any federal law enforcement agency and we certainly won’t provide facial …

Tech companies say they want to see a nationwide facial recognition law
4 years, 6 months ago

Tech companies say they want to see a nationwide facial recognition law

CNN  

CNN — In a matter of days, there was a sea change with one of the most cutting-edge and controversial technologies in Silicon Valley. Three tech giants — Amazon, Microsoft and IBM — all said this week they will not sell facial recognition technology to police. Silicon Valley goes to Washington Tech companies have seized opportunities where they can in …

Amazon implements a one-year moratorium on police use of its facial recognition software
4 years, 6 months ago

Amazon implements a one-year moratorium on police use of its facial recognition software

Firstpost  

Amazon says it has pushed for regulations to ensure the software was used ethically. Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday said it was implementing a one-year moratorium on police use of its facial recognition software, halting a business it long defended as many protested law enforcement brutality against people of color. “We hope this one-year moratorium might give Congress enough time to …

Microsoft joins Amazon, IBM in pausing face scans for police
4 years, 6 months ago

Microsoft joins Amazon, IBM in pausing face scans for police

Associated Press  

Microsoft has become the third big tech company this week to say it won’t sell its facial recognition software to police, following similar moves by Amazon and IBM. “We’ve decided we will not sell facial recognition technology to police departments in the United States until we have a national law in place, grounded in human rights, that will govern this …

Amazon bans police use of its face recognition for a year
4 years, 6 months ago

Amazon bans police use of its face recognition for a year

The Hindu  

Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday said it was implementing a one-year moratorium on police use of its facial recognition software, halting a business it long defended as many protested law enforcement brutality against people of colour. “We hope this one-year moratorium might give Congress enough time to implement appropriate rules, and we stand ready to help if requested,” Amazon said. One …

Amazon pauses police use of its facial recognition software
4 years, 6 months ago

Amazon pauses police use of its facial recognition software

Al Jazeera  

Amid George Floyd protests, US tech giant Amazon issues a one-year pause on police use of its controversial software. Amazon.com Inc said it is implementing a one-year moratorium on police use of its facial recognition software, a reversal of its longtime defence of law enforcement’s use of the technology. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon has been the most …

Amazon bans police use of its face recognition for a year
4 years, 6 months ago

Amazon bans police use of its face recognition for a year

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Amazon banned police use of its face-recognition technology for a year, making it the latest tech giant to step back from law-enforcement use of systems that have faced criticism for incorrectly identifying people with darker skin. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon has been the most public about using Rekognition, but said after Amazon’s announcement Wednesday …

In wake of George Floyd’s death, IBM gets out of the facial recognition business
4 years, 7 months ago

In wake of George Floyd’s death, IBM gets out of the facial recognition business

LA Times  

IBM is getting out of the facial recognition business, saying it’s concerned about how the technology can be used for mass surveillance and racial profiling. Many U.S. law enforcement agencies rely on facial recognition software built by companies less well known to the public, such as Tokyo-based NEC or the European companies Idemia and Cognitec, according to Clare Garvie, a …

IBM quits facial recognition, joins call for police reforms
4 years, 7 months ago

IBM quits facial recognition, joins call for police reforms

Associated Press  

IBM is getting out of the facial recognition business, saying it’s concerned about how the technology can be used for mass surveillance and racial profiling. Many U.S. law enforcement agencies rely on facial recognition software built by companies less well known to the public, such as Tokyo-based NEC or the European companies Idemia and Cognitec, according to Clare Garvie, a …

IBM will stop offering facial recognition software, will oppose tech's use for mass surveillance, social profiling
4 years, 7 months ago

IBM will stop offering facial recognition software, will oppose tech's use for mass surveillance, social profiling

Firstpost  

IBM’s decision to get out of the facial recognition business comes amid US protests over the death of George Floyd. International Business Machines Corp will no longer offer general-purpose facial recognition or analysis software, new Chief Executive Officer Arvind Krishna said in a letter to the members of the United States Congress on Monday. The company will stop offering facial …

Amazon is not an ally: The corporation says it stands in solidarity. Its actions say otherwise
4 years, 7 months ago

Amazon is not an ally: The corporation says it stands in solidarity. Its actions say otherwise

Salon  

On Sunday the American Civil Liberties Union called out Amazon for hypocrisy after Amazon posted a corporate show of support. That raises the question: how much "solidarity" can Amazon really have in this case, given the extent to which they have helped contribute to racist police violence in this country? If you understand anything about the world of corporate public …

Washington State signs facial recognition curbs into law; critics demand ban
4 years, 9 months ago

Washington State signs facial recognition curbs into law; critics demand ban

Firstpost  

Facial recognition software can identify individuals in photos and videos based on a database of known subjects. Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Tuesday signed the first US state law that sharply curbs law enforcement’s use of facial recognition technology, while civil rights activists said the measure did not go far enough to protect marginalized groups. Washington’s law requires government agencies …

Privacy fears as London police to begin using facial recognition technology
4 years, 11 months ago

Privacy fears as London police to begin using facial recognition technology

ABC  

London police say they will start using live facial recognition cameras in operational deployments, in a major advance for the controversial technology. Key points: London already has one of the highest concentrations of CCTV cameras in the world Rights groups say the technology threatens basic civil liberties Police have previously trialled facial recognition in the British capital The Metropolitan Police …

London will use live facial recognition cameras to police the city
4 years, 11 months ago

London will use live facial recognition cameras to police the city

CNN  

London CNN Business — London’s Metropolitan Police has announced controversial plans to use live facial recognition technology to improve officers’ ability to identify suspects and police the British capital. The decision follows an October investigation into live facial recognition technology by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office, which raised serious concerns over privacy and accuracy. In the United States, some California …

It's Hard to Ban Facial Recognition Tech in the iPhone Era
5 years ago

It's Hard to Ban Facial Recognition Tech in the iPhone Era

Wired  

After San Francisco in May placed new controls, including a ban on facial recognition, on municipal surveillance, city employees began taking stock of what technology agencies already owned. The department called South Carolina’s DataWorks Plus and asked it to disable facial recognition software the city had acquired from the company, according to company vice president Todd Pastorini. A facial recognition …

Facial recognition systems show rampant racial bias, government study finds
5 years ago

Facial recognition systems show rampant racial bias, government study finds

CNN  

Washington, DC CNN Business — Federal researchers have found widespread evidence of racial bias in nearly 200 facial recognition algorithms in an extensive government study, highlighting the technology’s shortcomings and potential for misuse. Portland, Oregon could go further: It is currently weighing a complete facial recognition ban not just for local government, but for private companies as well. On the …

Facial recognition: Labour vows to regulate 'lawless' technology if it wins power in next election
5 years, 3 months ago

Facial recognition: Labour vows to regulate 'lawless' technology if it wins power in next election

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Labour Party has pledged …

California lawmakers ban facial-recognition software from police body cams
5 years, 3 months ago

California lawmakers ban facial-recognition software from police body cams

CNN  

San Francisco CNN Business — California lawmakers on Thursday temporarilybanned state and local law enforcement from using facial-recognition software in body cameras, as the most populous US state takes action against the technology. Axon said earlier this year that it would not install facial-recognition technology in its body cameras, stating it's "not currently reliable enough." For now, at least, California’s …

California could soon ban facial recognition technology on police body cameras
5 years, 3 months ago

California could soon ban facial recognition technology on police body cameras

LA Times  

Taking one of the toughest stands in the nation against police use of facial recognition technology, California lawmakers on Thursday passed legislation barring police from installing it on body-worn cameras for three years. Later, legislators further softened the bill from the governor’s proposal to prohibit police use of body cameras with facial recognition technology for seven years. I think that …

London King’s Cross estate admits using facial recognition technology
5 years, 4 months ago

London King’s Cross estate admits using facial recognition technology

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Facial recognition technology is reportedly in use at London’s King’s …

Facial recognition software mistook 1 in 5 California lawmakers for criminals, says ACLU
5 years, 4 months ago

Facial recognition software mistook 1 in 5 California lawmakers for criminals, says ACLU

LA Times  

California Assemblyman Phil Ting has never been arrested, but he was recently mistaken for a criminal. Ting, who authored a bill to ban facial recognition software from being used on police body cameras, was one of 26 California legislators who was incorrectly matched with a mug shot in a recent test of a common face-scanning program by the American Civil …

Beyond San Francisco, more cities are saying no to facial recognition
5 years, 5 months ago

Beyond San Francisco, more cities are saying no to facial recognition

CNN  

San Francisco CNN Business — San Francisco did it in May. Somerville, Massachusetts, in June.And on Tuesday evening, Oakland, California, became the latest to ban city departments — including police — from using facial-recognition technology. A unanimous decision to outlaw facial-recognition technology Oakland’s city council passed the ordinance unanimously on Tuesday, and a second vote to finalize it is planned …

Police facial recognition cameras pose 'one of the greatest threats to freedom' and must be BANNED
5 years, 7 months ago

Police facial recognition cameras pose 'one of the greatest threats to freedom' and must be BANNED

Daily Mail  

Police facial recognition cameras should be banned because they pose 'one of the greatest threats to freedom', a human rights group has claimed. Police facial recognition cameras should be banned as they pose 'one of the greatest threats to freedom', a human rights group has claimed 'I don't think these cameras should ever be used,' Spurrier told The Guardian. A …

California considers ban on facial recognition’s new frontier: police body cameras
5 years, 7 months ago

California considers ban on facial recognition’s new frontier: police body cameras

LA Times  

Facial recognition’s first blanket ban arrived in May, when San Francisco became the only city in the nation to bar police and other agencies from using the technology. State lawmakers are considering regulation barring all California law enforcement officers from running facial recognition programs on body cameras. — Matt Cagle, attorney, American Civil Liberties Union The state measure, Assembly Bill …

CNN Business
5 years, 7 months ago

CNN Business

CNN  

San Francisco CNN Business — Hundreds of Amazon employees, groups of investors, and dozens of civil rights groups and academic researchers are upset that the online retailer is selling facial-recognition software to governments. The resolution requested Amazon’s board stop selling its Rekognition software to governments unless a third-party evaluation determines the tool “does not cause or contribute to actual or …

San Francisco bans police use of face recognition technology
5 years, 7 months ago

San Francisco bans police use of face recognition technology

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco supervisors voted Tuesday to ban the use of facial recognition software by police and other city departments, becoming the first U.S. city to outlaw a rapidly developing technology that has alarmed privacy and civil liberties advocates. The San Francisco board did not spend time Tuesday debating the outright ban on facial recognition technology, focusing instead …

Microsoft turned down facial-recognition sales on human rights concerns
5 years, 8 months ago

Microsoft turned down facial-recognition sales on human rights concerns

Firstpost  

AI has more cases of mistaken identity with women and minorities, according to research. Microsoft Corp recently rejected a California law enforcement agency’s request to install facial recognition technology in officers’ cars and body cameras due to human rights concerns, company President Brad Smith said on Tuesday. After thinking through the uneven impact, “we said this technology is not your …

Amazon must let shareholders vote on limiting facial recognition sales, SEC says
5 years, 9 months ago

Amazon must let shareholders vote on limiting facial recognition sales, SEC says

CNN  

San Francisco CNN Business — Amazon must allow shareholders to vote on a resolution that asks the online retailer to stop selling its facial-recognition software tool to government agencies, the Security and Exchange Commission said this week. One proposal asks Amazon’s board to stop selling the company’s Rekognition software to governments unless a third-party evaluation determines the tool “does not …

Before facial recognition tech can be used, it needs to be limited
5 years, 10 months ago

Before facial recognition tech can be used, it needs to be limited

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Our new research into the legal challenges posed by police use of facial recognition technology …

Amazon defends its facial-recognition technology, supports calls for legislation
5 years, 11 months ago

Amazon defends its facial-recognition technology, supports calls for legislation

CNN  

San Francisco CNN Business — Despite concerns from investors, civil rights groups and others, Amazon thinks its facial-recognition technology can be helpful for law enforcement. He said that in the more than two years that Rekognition has been available, Amazon hasn’t gotten “a single report of misuse by law enforcement.” The post comes after numerous groups — from investors to …

Researchers say Amazon face-detection technology shows bias
5 years, 11 months ago

Researchers say Amazon face-detection technology shows bias

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Facial-detection technology that Amazon is marketing to law enforcement often misidentifies women, particularly those with darker skin, according to researchers from MIT and the University of Toronto. Matt Wood, general manager of artificial intelligence with Amazon’s cloud-computing unit, said the study uses a “facial analysis” and not “facial recognition” technology. Wood said facial analysis “can spot faces …

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