Facial recognition technology is making its way from Silicon Valley into the hands of the police. Law enforcement agencies like the FBI, ICE, and several local police departments are using these invasive tools right now. Which means these agencies increasingly have the power to track who you are, where you are, and where you go.
Lining up to profit from all this are some of the nation’s largest tech companies. Last year, the ACLU of Northern CA exposed Amazon for selling their facial recognition tool to law enforcement. Microsoft markets and sells its own tool called Face API, even as it calls on the federal government to regulate facial recognition technology. Google on the other hand has announced it would not commercialize its facial recognition product today—but has not ruled out doing so in the future.
Join us in telling CEOs from Google, Microsoft and Amazon: Don’t sell facial recognition to governments.
This is not a neutral technology. Research has shown that facial recognition tools can be disproportionately inaccurate with people of color—especially Black women. And in the hands of police, this powerful surveillance technology will be used to further target and repress Black and brown communities who already face racist policing practices.
Companies selling facial recognition to governments are on the wrong side of history. Across the country, thousands are speaking up against the use of these tools, including activists, members of Congress, and even employees at these companies. Now it’s time for Google, Microsoft and Amazon to do the right thing.
