NY Banned The Scan In Schools!

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Friend,

After years of advocacy, this week brought a major victory in the fight against facial recognition!

On Wednesday, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) ordered a state wide ban on facial recognition in k-12 schools. The decision upholds a 2020 bill temporarily prohibiting facial recognition in schools, which was the first of its kind in the nation and spearheaded by our partner Stefanie Coyle at the New York Civil Liberties Union.

We’re thrilled to see this decision, but lawmakers can’t stop there. Students that are safe from facial recognition at school today still are tracked by the technology at stores, arenas, and even by landlords. Facial recognition doesn’t need to be regulated, it needs to be stopped completely. That’s why this week, we joined over 30 civil rights groups to demand the New York City Council pass two pending bills banning facial recognition and other biometric technologies in residential buildings and public accommodations.

It’s long past time that we ensure that every New Yorker is protected from this discriminatory technology.

With thanks,
Albert Fox Cahn
Executive Director

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Newslettercommunications staffSeptember 29, 2023