Civil Rights Groups Demand NY Dep’t of Labor End Facial Recognition

*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

View this email in your browser For Immediate Release Civil Rights Groups Demand NY Dep’t of Labor End Facial Recognition (New York, NY, 2/17/2022) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), Freedom to Thrive, National Action Network, the NYU Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law, and United Voices of Courtland demanded that the New York State Department of Labor end its use of the controversial facial recognition firm ID.me. The NYS DOL evaluates applicants for unemployment insurance and other public services by processing applicant selfies through the facial recognition system. Earlier this month, the IRS abandoned its plans to use ID.me after facing national pushback for its use of facial recognition. The civil rights group warned that facial recognition software frequently is biased against BIPOC communities, putting New Yorkers of color at risk of being denied unemployment because of algorithmic bias. SEE: Sign-On Letter to NY Department of Labor to End Use of ID.me for Unemployment Insurance and Other Public Benefits https://www.stopspying.org/sign-on-letters/2022/2/17/sign-on-letter-to-ny-department-of-labor CNN Business - Want your unemployment benefits? You may have to submit to facial recognition first https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/23/tech/idme-unemployment-facial-recognition/index.html “Government facial recognition is wrong, whether it’s the IRS or Department of Labor,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “No American should have to give up their biometric data to access the benefits they’re entitled to. The IRS was right to roll back this tech, but other agencies must follow suit. This growth of facial recognition is immensely disturbing. Given federal-state data sharing agreements, you can’t ban it for one agency unless you ban it for all.” Last June, S.T.O.P. condemned the findings from a Government Accountability Office report that shared 20 federal agencies reported using facial recognition, including six agencies that used the technology to track Black Lives Matter protesters. SEE: Slate - The IRS’s Abandoned Facial Recognition Is Just the Tip of a Harmful Biometric Iceberg https://slate.com/technology/2022/02/irs-facial-recognition-biometrics-harm.html Press Release - S.T.O.P. Condemns IRS Facial Recognition Requirement for Tax Filers https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2022/1/21/stop-condemns-irs-facial-recognition-requirement-for-tax-filers Press Release - S.T.O.P. Condemns G.A.O. Facial Recognition Findings, Calls For Ban https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2021/6/30/stop-condemns-gao-facial-recognition-findings-calls-for-ban The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. -- END -- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn Copyright © 2021 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.