The Minneapolis city council, on Friday night, unanimously passed a resolution to halt all police department contracts with facial recognition technology provider Clearview AI. The resolution also calls for other agencies to suspend any plans to use this facial recognition tech in their policing operations. This is the latest development in a string of major cities including San Francisco and Oakland, California; Somerville and Cambridge, Massachusetts; Portland, Oregon; and Berkeley, California who have either banned or restricted law enforcement’s use of facial recognition tech. In this blog post we will cover why the Minneapolis city council made this decision and what implications it might have for law enforcement agencies across the country. We’ll also explore how hatmaker TechCrunch has responded to the news–and how they are pushing back against the further integration of facial recognition technology into our lives.
What is Clearview AI?
Clearview AI is a technology company that specializes in facial recognition software. The company claims that its software can identify a person from a photo or video with 70% accuracy. Clearview AI has been controversial due to its use of law enforcement and private sector customers, as well as its scraping of billions of public photos from social media sites without the consent of individual users.
How Minneapolis City Council Is Using Clearview AI
The Minneapolis city council is using Clearview AI to help with investigations. The technology allows them to search for images across the internet, including social media, to help identify potential suspects. They are also using it to run facial recognition searches on photos and videos from crime scenes.
Clearview AI has come under fire for its privacy implications, but the city council believes that its benefits outweigh the risks. They are taking steps to ensure that the data collected by Clearview AI is only used for legitimate purposes and is not abused.
Pros and Cons of Using Clearview AI
The Minneapolis city council has voted to ban the use of Clearview AI, a facial recognition software that has been criticized for its lack of privacy protections. The vote came after a lengthy debate in which council members heard from both privacy advocates and law enforcement officials about the pros and cons of using the technology.
Supporters of the ban say that Clearview AI violates people’s right to privacy and could be used to target marginalized groups. They also argue that there is no evidence that the software is effective at preventing crime.
Opponents of the ban say that Clearview AI is a valuable tool for law enforcement and that it should be up to individual agencies to decide how to use it. They argue that the technology can be used responsibly and that its benefits outweigh its risks.
Other Cities That Are Using or Considering Using Clearview AI
Other cities that are using or considering using Clearview AI include:
-Atlanta, GA
-Austin, TX
-Baltimore, MD
-Boston, MA
-Charlotte, NC
-Chicago, IL
-Dallas, TX
-Denver, CO
-Houston, TX
-Indianapolis, IN
-Kansas City, MO
Ethical Implications of Using Clearview AI
As the use of facial recognition technology becomes more widespread, concerns are growing about the potential for misuse and abuse of this powerful tool. One major concern is that facial recognition technology could be used to unfairly target certain groups of people, such as minorities or political dissidents. Another concern is that the use of facial recognition technology could lead to a loss of privacy for individuals who are captured by the cameras.
Another ethical implication of using Clearview AI is the potential for law enforcement to use the app to target specific individuals without due cause. For example, an officer could use Clearview AI to look up someone who they had a personal beef with, or who they thought was involved in criminal activity, without any evidence to support their suspicions. This type of targeting could result in innocent people being unfairly harassed or even arrested.
Finally, there is the possibility that Clearview AI could be used by companies or other organizations to track employees or customers. For example, a company could use the app to check whether employees are attending work on time, or a store could use it to see how often customers are returning. This type of surveillance raises serious concerns about invasion of privacy and control over our daily lives.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Minneapolis City Council’s decision to ban Clearview AI is an important step in protecting citizens’ privacy. Despite its potential benefits for law enforcement, this facial recognition technology can be easily abused and used to facilitate surveillance of individuals without their consent. By taking a stand on this issue, the City Council has set an example for other cities and states when it comes to regulating cutting-edge AI technologies. This action sends a strong message that any company looking to use facial recognition must consider both the ethical implications of their product and ensure they are compliant with all applicable laws.
