For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Welcomes Proposed NY Ban on Police Facial Recognition, Biometric Surveillance



(NEW YORK, NY, 01/27/2020) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, welcomed the introduction of a proposed ban on New York police departments’ use of facial recognition and other biometric surveillance. The bill, which was introduced by State Senator Brad Hoylman of Manhattan, would outlaw automated tracking based on individuals’ facial features, gait, vocal patterns, or other biometric characteristics.



SEE: Bill Anouncement

https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/brad-hoylman/senator-brad-hoylman-announces-new-legislation-protect-civil



“Facial recognition is biased, broken, and a danger to every New Yorker’s privacy,” said surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “Biometric surveillance systems often misidentify people of color, particularly women of color, at a much higher rate. As we continue to see newer and more powerful forms of this technology deployed in our communities, we must act to stop its spread.”



The bill was introduced less than a week after the civil rights organization condemned that NYPD’s partnership with the controversial facial recognition firm Clearview. Clearview, which reportedly is linked to white nationalist figures, collected more than a billion photos on members of the public without their consent.



SEE: S.T.O.P. Condemns NYPD's Partnership With Facial Recognition Company Linked To White Nationalists

https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2020/1/23/clearview-nypd



Cahn continued “If the NYPD is willing to not just work with firms like Clearview, but to then lie to the public about it, it’s clear that they can’t be trusted to police themselves.”



The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider hosted by the Urban Justice Center. 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.



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