San Francisco did it. Somerville, Massachusetts did it. Now, New York’s own state Sen. Brad Hoylman wants to do it – the “it” being banning the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement. On Monday, Hoylman announced legislation that would prohibit law enforcement agencies – like the New York Police Department – from using facial recognition and other biometric surveillance technologies. Uses of tools like fingerprinting and the state’s DNA identification index would be exempted from the ban, and the legislation would also establish a task force to recommend standards for future uses of the technology.
“Facial recognition technology threatens to end every New Yorker’s ability to walk down the street anonymously,” Hoylman said in a statement. “New York must take action to regulate this increasingly pervasive and dangerously powerful technology before it’s too late.”
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