S.T.O.P. Warns Detroit Facial Recognition Changes Fall Short

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Warns Detroit Facial Recognition Changes Fall Short (New York, NY, 8/10/2023) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a privacy and civil rights group, warns that the Detroit Police Department’s changes to its facial recognition policies fall short of protecting innocent Detroiters from false arrests. The announcement comes after Detroit Police falsely arrested Porcha Woodruff, an innocent Black woman who was then eight-months pregnant, after a wrongful automated facial recognition match. The policy changes include prohibiting use of facial recognition photos in lineups, additional review of warrant requests for arrests when facial recognition is used, and other measures S.T.O.P. stated will do little to prevent future false matches. The civil rights group warned that only a full ban on police use of facial recognition will protect Detroiters from the technology’s misuse.   SEE: Detroit Free Press -  Detroit alters facial recognition tech policy after lawsuit filed by pregnant woman https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2023/08/09/facial-recognition-technology-policy-wrongful-arrest/70561994007/ The New York Times -  Eight Months Pregnant and Arrested After False Facial Recognition Match  https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/06/business/facial-recognition-false-arrest.html   “The only policy that will prevent false facial recognition arrests is a complete ban,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn.  “Sadly, for every one facial recognition mistake we know about, there are probably dozens of Americans who remained wrongly accused and who never get justice. These racist, error-prone systems simply have no place in a just society.” SEE: Press Release - S.T.O.P. Condemns Facial Recognition Arrest Of Innocent Black Pregnant Woman https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2023/8/7/stop-condemns-facial-recognition-arrest-of-innocent-black-pregnant-woman   The civil rights group continues to call on lawmakers in New York to outlaw facial recognition. In May, the New York City Council held a hearing on legislation supported by the group, which would ban many forms of facial recognition across the city.   SEE: Press Release - Electeds, Advocates Rally Against Facial Recognition Ahead Of City Council Hearing On Bans https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2023/5/3/electeds-advocates-rally-against-facial-recognition-ahead-of-city-council-hearing-on-bans In 2021, a Black teenage girl was barred from entering a Detroit roller skating rink due to a false facial recognition match. That same month, S.T.O.P. released Scan City: A Decade of NYPD Facial Recognition Abuse, a research report that highlights how facial recognition technology is especially inaccurate in identifying Black women and girls.   SEE: The Verge - Black teen barred from skating rink by inaccurate facial recognition https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/15/22578801/black-teen-skating-rink-inaccurate-facial-recognition Research Report - Scan City: A Decade of NYPD Facial Recognition Abuse https://www.stopspying.org/scan-city 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.