cambridge city hall

Cambridge Becomes Fourth Massachusetts Community To Ban Municipal Facial Recognition Use

A bill is currently before the state House that would ban government use of biometric technology until the legislature regulates how agencies can adopt it.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • Jan 15, 2020

The city council of Cambridge, Massachusetts voted on Monday to become the fourth community in Massachusetts to ban the municipal use of facial recognition software, extending the state’s reputation as a hub for growing debate over the technology.

Cambridge, the home of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, among other universities, took its first steps to restrict the use of facial recognition after the communities of Brookline, Northampton and Somerville passed similar bans last year.

The sudden increase in facial recognition bans across the state can be attributed to a campaign led by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts focused on “pressing pause” on government use of the software, which the group says has accuracy issues, particularly for people of color. Several studies have found that facial recognition software is less accurate when identifying people of color versus white people.

Due to those advocacy efforts, a bill is before the state House that would implement a statewide moratorium on the use of facial recognition and other biometric technologies, including analyzing a person’s walk or voice, until the legislature regulates how agencies can use the technology.

“Massachusetts cities and towns are stepping up to ensure that face surveillance technology doesn’t get out ahead of our basic rights,” Kade Crockford, director of the Technology for Liberty Program at the ACLU of Massachusetts, said in a statement. “Now, Beacon Hill [the capitol] must also lead the nation by passing a statewide moratorium on this technology until there are civil liberties protections in place.”

In a tweet, Cambridge Mayor Marc McGovern said: “Cambridge joins a small but growing number of cities who are stepping up to protect residents from intrusive and undemocratic technology.”

 

 

The development comes as states and cities across the country weigh the benefits and potential abuses of facial recognition technology. Security companies and law enforcement agencies have argued that the software can play an important role in keeping people safe by allowing officers to more quickly identify a criminal suspect or remove a banned person from a property before an incident breaks out.

Congress has yet to weigh in on the issue as cities in California and Massachusetts have passed municipal bans. California has implemented a three-year moratorium on law enforcement use of facial recognition in police body cameras, while the Washington state legislature is weighing a new bill that would require agencies to file “accountability reports” on how they are using the software in order to prevent ongoing surveillance.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies: Uniting Human Risk Management and Security Awareness Training

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

  • Report: 1 in 3 Easily Exploitable Vulnerabilities Found on Cloud Assets

    CyCognito recently released new research highlighting critical security vulnerabilities across cloud-hosted assets, revealing that one in three easily exploitable vulnerabilities or misconfigurations are found on cloud assets. As organizations increasingly shift to multi-cloud strategies, the findings underscore significant security gaps that could provide attackers with potential footholds into networks. Read Now

  • Built for Today, Ready for Tomorrow

    Selecting the right VMS is critical for any organization that depends on video surveillance to ensure safety, security and operational efficiency. While many organizations focus on immediate needs such as budget and deployment size, let us review some of the long-term considerations that can significantly impact a VMS's utility and flexibility. Read Now

  • Paving the Way to Smart Buildings

    In today's rapidly evolving security landscape, the convergence of on-prem, edge and cloud technologies are critical. The physical security landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rapid digitalization of buildings and the evolving needs of modern organizations. As the buildings sector pivots towards smart, AI and data-driven operations, the integration of both edge and cloud technology has become crucial. Read Now

  • The Cybersecurity Time Bomb

    If you work in physical security, you have probably seen it: a camera, access control system, or intrusion detection device installed years ago, humming along without a single update. It is a common scenario that security professionals have come to accept as "normal." But here is the reality: this mindset is actively putting organizations at risk. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • 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.

  • 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.