maine capitol

Maine Legislators Working On Bill To Make Law Enforcement Use of Surveillance Tech More Transparent

Law enforcement in Maine have cited a 2013 law stating they are not required to disclose if they are using facial recognition or cellphone signal interceptors. Two lawmakers hope to change that.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • Feb 18, 2020

Maine lawmakers are planning to introduce a bill that would change a state law used by police to state that they do not have to disclose use of surveillance technology, including facial recognition or cellphone signal interceptors.

Two Democratic legislators, Sen. Shenna Bellows and Rep. Charlotte Warren, told The Portland Press Herald that they are working with the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine on legislation that would demand more transparency on which technologies are being used by law enforcement across the state.

Previously, the Maine State Police have denied requests from newspapers, including the Maine Sunday Telegram, to confirm or deny which technologies they are deploying in communities. Maine is one of two states with a provision in state law that does not require police to disclose public records related to surveillance technology, according to the ACLU.

One issue facing the legislators taking on the issue is timing. The bill would need to earn special approval from a bipartisan panel to be included in the 2020 session, or else it will have to be put off until the start of the next session in 2021, according to the Press Herald.

“It’s unclear if legislative leadership will permit the bill to be introduced at this late date, but we heard widespread constituent concern when news hit that Maine is one of only two states that allows this level of secret surveillance,” Bellows, a former executive director of the ACLU of Maine, said.

The upcoming legislation comes as cities across the country, including in Maine, consider policies to regulate how law enforcement and government agencies can use facial recognition and other technologies on residents.

In Portland, Maine, City Councilor Pious Ali has proposed a ban on the use of facial recognition by police and city officials. A vote on the measure has been postponed twice and will be discussed again on June 15, the Press Herald reported.

Frank Clark, the chief of police in Portland, opposed the proposal, telling the council in a memo that he is an “advocate of taking advantage of contemporary 21st century technologies to drive better public safety outcomes.” He said that the department does not have immediate plans to acquire facial recognition technology.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Maximizing Your Security Budget This Year

    Perimeter Security Standards for Multi-Site Businesses

    When you run or own a business that has multiple locations, it is important to set clear perimeter security standards. By doing this, it allows you to assess and mitigate any potential threats or risks at each site or location efficiently and effectively. Read Now

  • New Research Shows a Continuing Increase in Ransomware Victims

    GuidePoint Security recently announced the release of GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team’s (GRIT) Q1 2024 Ransomware Report. In addition to revealing a nearly 20% year-over-year increase in the number of ransomware victims, the GRIT Q1 2024 Ransomware Report observes major shifts in the behavioral patterns of ransomware groups following law enforcement activity – including the continued targeting of previously “off-limits” organizations and industries, such as emergency hospitals. Read Now

  • OpenAI's GPT-4 Is Capable of Autonomously Exploiting Zero-Day Vulnerabilities

    According to a new study from four computer scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, OpenAI’s paid chatbot, GPT-4, is capable of autonomously exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities without any human assistance. Read Now

  • Getting in Someone’s Face

    There was a time, not so long ago, when the tradeshow industry must have thought COVID-19 might wipe out face-to-face meetings. It sure seemed that way about three years ago. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
Most   Popular

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation. 3

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises. 3

  • 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. 3