Image Recognition
The Massachusetts state legislature has officially passed a new police reform bill that establishes some basic rules for the use of facial recognition. Under the new rule, officers will at least need to have a valid reason to perform a search. The bill’s proponents noted that facial recognition is more likely to misidentify the faces of people with darker skin, and cited the public’s growing awareness of such bias as a motivating factor in the legislature. Several municipalities (including Boston and Cambridge) have implemented local facial recognition bans, while Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey has tabled similar legislation at the federal level. He indicated that the Massachusetts bill could show lawmakers how to get similar laws passed in other jurisdictions.