camera with facial recognition software

Second Massachusetts Town Bans Government Use of Facial Recognition

The vote marks the fourth town that has banned facial recognition this year, following Somerville, Mass. and San Francisco and Oakland in California.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • Dec 16, 2019

Brookline, a Massachusetts town of about 60,000 people, voted on Wednesday to ban government use of facial recognition technology, becoming the second town in the state to do so.

There were 179 votes in favor of the ban at a town meeting, with only eight people voting against the proposal and 12 abstaining, according to WGBH. In June, the town of Somerville passed a similar ban, becoming the first city on the East Coast to do so. San Francisco and Oakland have done the same in just the past year.

One reason for the rise of the anti-facial recognition push in Massachusetts is a campaign from the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, which is currently advocating a statewide moratorium on the government’s use of the software. A bill is currently before the Joint Judiciary Committee in the legislature, according to WGBH.

“Communities are saying we should be in control, we should be dictating how, if at all, these dangerous technologies will be used by our town and city governments,” said Kade Crockford, the director of the Technology for Liberty program at the ACLU of Massachusetts. “We hope that the legislature will listen and will take action to protect all of us throughout the Bay State.”

Security companies, along with law enforcement groups and tech corporations, have previously defended facial recognition as a useful tool for police to quickly track down suspects. In a letter to members of Congress in September, the Security Industry Association teamed up with law enforcement organizations to urge members to regulate facial recognition instead of banning it outright.

“While we agree that it is important to have effective oversight and accountability of these tools to uphold and protect civil liberties, we disagree that a ban is the best option to move forward,” the letter read. “Bans would keep this important tool out of the hands of law enforcement officers, making it harder for them to do their jobs efficiently, stay safe, and protect our communities.”

Civil liberties groups and privacy advocates like the ACLU say that the technology could have massive implications for privacy rights and should be stopped while legislators consider regulation.

“We are losing control of our personal information because our technology has outpaced our civil rights protections in the law,” Crockford said. “We hope that the state legislature on Beacon Hill will take note of all of this energy in communities across Massachusetts.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Gaining a Competitive Edge

    Ask most companies about their future technology plans and the answers will most likely include AI. Then ask how they plan to deploy it, and that is where the responses may start to vary. Every company has unique surveillance requirements that are based on market focus, scale, scope, risk tolerance, geographic area and, of course, budget. Those factors all play a role in deciding how to configure a surveillance system, and how to effectively implement technologies like AI. Read Now

  • 6 Ways Security Awareness Training Empowers Human Risk Management

    Organizations are realizing that their greatest vulnerability often comes from within – their own people. Human error remains a significant factor in cybersecurity breaches, making it imperative for organizations to address human risk effectively. As a result, security awareness training (SAT) has emerged as a cornerstone in this endeavor because it offers a multifaceted approach to managing human risk. Read Now

  • The Stage is Set

    The security industry spans the entire globe, with manufacturers, developers and suppliers on every continent (well, almost—sorry, Antarctica). That means when regulations pop up in one area, they often have a ripple effect that impacts the entire supply chain. Recent data privacy regulations like GDPR in Europe and CPRA in California made waves when they first went into effect, forcing businesses to change the way they approach data collection and storage to continue operating in those markets. Even highly specific regulations like the U.S.’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) can have international reverberations – and this growing volume of legislation has continued to affect global supply chains in a variety of different ways. Read Now

  • Access Control Technology

    As we move swiftly toward the end of 2024, the security industry is looking at the trends in play, what might be on the horizon, and how they will impact business opportunities and projections. Read Now

Most   Popular

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions. 3

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction. 3

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation. 3