SIA Signs Multi-Organization Letter to Congress on Facial Recognition

Facial recognition technology is one of the many technologies that law enforcement can use to help keep communities safe. Today, facial recognition technology is being used to help identify individuals involved in crimes, find missing children and combat sex trafficking. As the technology continues to improve, there will be even more opportunities in the future to use the technology as an investigative tool to solve crimes, as a security countermeasure against threats in airports and other public venues and as a means to securely identify individuals at ports of entry.

While polls consistently show that Americans trust law enforcement to use facial recognition technology responsibly, some groups have called for lawmakers to enact bans on facial recognition technology; while the Security Industry Association (SIA) agrees that it is important to have effective oversight and accountability of these tools, we disagree that a ban is the best option to move forward. SIA joined a group of organizations, including the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, CompTIA, the Consumer Technology Association, the Electronic Security Association and the National Police Foundation, in developing a Sept. 26, 2019, letter to encourage Congress to consider many of the viable alternatives to bans so that law enforcement can use facial recognition technology safely, accurately and effectively.