police officer on motorcycle

Berkeley Becomes Fourth U.S. City to Ban Police Use of Facial Recognition

Two other California cities have already adopted similar policies, and the state has also passed a ban on facial recognition in police body cameras.

Reflecting the continued national debate about the use of surveillance technology by police, the city council in Berkeley, California voted to ban facial recognition use by its police department and other public agencies on Tuesday night. 

The move makes Berkeley the fourth American city to do so, following in the footsteps of governments in San Francisco, Oakland and Sommerville, Massachusetts. All four cities have adopted those measures in just the past year. 

Berkeley passed the facial recognition ban as part of an amendment to an ordinance that requires council approval for the purchase of any surveillance technology, The Mercury News reported. City officials say they have never sought the use of facial recognition software and do not have any in place. 

Kate Harrison, the councilwoman who proposed the amendment, said that cities have a responsibility to take action on the issue before “mass surveillance” is imposed on their lives. 

“We cannot afford to write off the various performance issues related to facial recognition technology as mere engineering problems; facial recognition surveillance poses a range of fundamental constitutional problems,” Harrison told the News. “In the face of federal and state inaction, it is incumbent upon cities to enact laws that protect communities from mass surveillance.”

Earlier this month, California became the third state to ban facial recognition software in police body cameras, though the ban does not apply to federal agencies and does not extend to other types of cameras. Oregon and New Hampshire already have similar measures in place. 

Police organizations and security companies have called for regulation of the technology rather than outright bans, sending a letter to Congress last month defending the product as useful in protecting communities. 

Meanwhile, civil liberties groups have applauded the steps taken by the California state government and city councils to prevent their police departments from using the software to identify potential suspects. The ACLU and a group called Secure Justice have been involved in passing legislation across California to keep government officials from using facial recognition software. 

“We’re very grateful to Councilmember Harrison for her leadership on this issue, and to the city council for their unanimous support,” Brian Hofer, the executive director of Secure Justice, told the News. “Dangerous face surveillance technology is incompatible with a healthy democracy.

 

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.