Coalition Letter Opposing a Moratorium on Facial Recognition Technology

Recently, facial recognition technology has garnered increased attention from the public and policymakers and is being innovatively used in the private and public sectors to enhance customer experience, assist in security operations and improve business operations; however, some have advocated for increased guardrails on the technology or even a blanket moratorium on federal use out of concern that it insufficiently protects civil rights and liberties and individual privacy. The Security Industry Association, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and several other organizations, has urged Congress to collaborate with all stakeholders to address concerns raised by facial recognition technology and provide a consistent set of rules across the United States rather than issue a moratorium on the technology.

In an Oct. 16, 2019, letter to Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), the coalition outlines the history of facial recognition and its prevalent use across various industries, the potential consequences of a moratorium on the technology and recent innovation and work to ethically and responsibly govern the technology.