A Florida man has filed a lawsuit against multiple U.S. law enforcement agencies, claiming he was wrongfully arrested and falsely accused of luring a child after malfunctioning facial recognition technology misidentified him. When the 52-year-old man was arrested in August 2024 at his home in front of his wife and daughter, in San Carlos Park, Fla., outside of Fort Myers, he was informed he had been caught on McDonald’s security cameras in Jacksonville Beach allegedly attempting to lure a girl under the age of 12 into his company, according to the lawsuit. The man, who resides some 300 miles from Jacksonville Beach, where the alleged crime occurred, had never set foot in the area, the legal filing states. The case was dismissed last year, and his charges were dropped in connection with the alleged incident in November 2023, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which filed the case on his behalf, though residual “trauma” remains, it says. Get breaking National news The lawsuit, which has been brought against the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, the Jacksonville sheriff’s office, and Bob Gualtieri, the sheriff of Pinellas County, accuses investigators of arresting the man using “an incorrect result from facial recognition” and “concealing evidence that showed he could not have committed the crime.” The lawsuit describes a flawed photo lineup presented to a witness, in which they incorrectly identified an innocent man as the suspect due to “automated bias.” Facial recognition technology is designed to find the closest-looking face in a database. However, if the suspect is not in the database, the system can still return an innocent person who resembles them, the lawsuit explains. The candidate is then placed among several filler images selected to resemble the perpetrator, a standard practice to ensure the suspect does not stand out. But
Jun 11, 2026 · via globalnews.ca
FLORIDA — A Fort Myers man says he was wrongfully arrested for attempting to lure a child after police relied on facial recognition technology that incorrectly identified him as a suspect, leading to months of prosecution before charges were dropped. According to the lawsuit, Robert Dillon claims law enforcement agencies and officers used an artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition system to identify him as the suspect in a 2023 child luring case at a Jacksonville Beach McDonald's, despite evidence that he says would have cleared him. The lawsuit states 52-year-old Dillon had never been to Jacksonville Beach and lived more than 300 miles away in Fort Myers. He claims investigators relied on a facial recognition search that reportedly produced a "93% match" from surveillance images and failed to pursue other investigative steps that could have ruled him out as a suspect. The complaint accuses the Jacksonville Beach police of using low-quality surveillance images taken from a computer screen and submitting them through the Face Analysis Comparison and Examination System (FACES), a facial recognition database operated by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. According to the lawsuit, investigators later obtained a photo lineup identification from a McDonald's manager who said she recognized the suspect as a regular customer but did not witness the alleged interaction between the child and the suspect. Dillon claims the identification was tainted because it was based on the same facial recognition lead. The lawsuit also claims investigators failed to disclose several pieces of potentially exculpatory information when seeking an arrest warrant, including Dillon's statements that he had never been to Jacksonville Beach, license plate reader data that did not place his vehicles in the area and that the suspect was described as a regular customer at the restaurant. Dillon was arrested at his Fort Myers home in August
Jun 11, 2026 · via tampabay28.com
Police to deploy facial recognition cameras again A police force plans to deploy live facial recognition (LFR) technology in a city centre for a second time on 19 June. Cambridgeshire Police said cameras would be used to identify individuals who pose the greatest risk to public safety in Peterborough, although the specific location of the cameras has not been confirmed. The system scans faces from a live camera feed and compares them in real time with a watchlist of high-risk individuals. During its first use on 19 May, police scanned 34,000 faces in a six-hour operation on Bridge Street and Long Causeway, leading to the arrest of two men wanted for failing to appear in court - one accused of theft from a person and the other of shoplifting. Five other people were identified, including a woman suspected of breaching a criminal behaviour order. Police said any matches are reviewed by an officer, while images and biometric data are deleted either immediately or within 24 hours if no further action is needed. Insp Sam Tucker described the previous deployment of LFR as "a successful day", adding that officers also responded to other incidents, including a medical emergency. He said the operation received a positive response from the public and local businesses, with some reporting a reduction in crime. However, the force acknowledged people's concerns over the technology in regards to privacy. A spokesperson for the force said: "Data collected via LFR is handled according to data protection laws and regulations. "Personal information is only retained if a match is made and deemed necessary for investigation purposes. "Images of people who do not match anyone on the watchlist are immediately deleted and cannot be recovered. "All CCTV footage from mobile deployments is deleted within 31 days unless it is required for
Jun 11, 2026 · via bbc.com
Florida man blames wrongful arrest on “error-prone” AI facial recognition When police arrested Richard Dillon in 2023 for allegedly trying to “lure a child” away from a McDonald’s in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, he told them he was more than 300 miles away at the time of the crime. The key evidence police used to puncture his alibi: facial recognition software matched an image of the suspect to Dillon’s photo. Dillon was later cleared, and on Wednesday he became a plaintiff in a new ACLU lawsuit filed against the Jacksonville Beach Police Department and others over what he believes was a case of misuse of the AI-driven image matching technology. “Police let an error-prone artificial intelligence system stand in for an investigation,” they argue in their complaint. The case is the latest attempt to establish guardrails for powerful new technology that police are increasingly using to solve one of the toughest aspects of any investigation — when they have an image of a suspect, but not that person’s identity. Facial recognition is an increasingly common law enforcement tool, with public databases holding images of 117 million Americans, according to the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown Law School. Jacksonville Beach police and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office both declined to comment. The episode began in November 2023, when police say a man approached a 12-year-old in a McDonald’s and tried to lure her away from her parents. A month later, Dillon received a call from Jacksonville Beach Police Officer Scott O’Connell. He says that during the call, O’Connell “accused me over and over again of a heinous crime that I knew I didn’t commit”. Dillon told CBS News he remembers thinking “my life is over. … AI says I did this, how am I going to prove that I didn’t?” During
Jun 11, 2026 · via wdef.com
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Welcome to the future, where there's always a camera lens within arm's reach. I'll park my wider-ranging rant about surveillance culture for the time being and attempt to just focus on the news story that's most recently made me consider stepping on to the soap box: the facial recognition system that was at one point in Meta's smart glasses app. Last week, Wired reported it had found code that suggested Meta had quietly embedded face-recognition technology into its smart glasses app. Now Wired reports that, since it published its original story, the code in question has been removed from the Meta AI app. That's good news, right? Well, I'm not sure I feel especially great about it. The code Wired identified was referred to internally as 'NameTag,' and reportedly added over multiple updates in 2026. It was reported that once activated, the system could identify the faces of those captured by the smart glasses' lens and that it would then alert the user when it recognised someone. The original story broke mere weeks after a Meta spokesperson told the publication, "If we were to release such a feature, we would take a very thoughtful approach before rolling anything out." Wired found this particularly troubling as code for the system had been quietly pushed out to an app downloaded millions of times. Couple this with reports that Niantic Spatial may be using images of the world captured by Pokemon Go players to build its highly-accurate geospatial model for use by delivery robots and potentially defense applications, and the whole episode leaves me feeling queasy. At the very least, it's a good time to re-assess what data you're handing over to big tech when you
Jun 11, 2026 · via tech.yahoo.com
No barriers for 50,000 users of new ‘seamless’ e-channels at mega bridge Facial recognition technology will allow people to clear immigration in five seconds using new e-channels at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge About 50,000 regular users of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will soon be able to pass through new immigration e-channels without stopping or displaying their identity cards, as facial recognition will be used for clearance. Or Chung-yuk, assistant director of information systems at the Immigration Department, said on Thursday that Hong Kong permanent residents aged 11 or above who were regular users of the bridge could use two new “seamless” e-channels from June 25. “Users will not need to stop or display their identity cards during the process, bringing a seamless experience to their crossing,” Or said. Residents who have arrived at or departed from Hong Kong’s clearance building at the bridge at least 10 times over the past 90 days can register to use the new e-channels starting on Thursday. Or estimated that around 50,000 local travellers, accounting for around 20 per cent of all bridge users, would be eligible. Two seamless e-channels have been installed in the Hong Kong border crossing departure hall. Unlike other existing e-channels, the new version has an open-gate design and a 4.9-metre-long walkway, with passengers not required to stop or present their identity cards when crossing.
Jun 11, 2026 · via scmp.com
On Brig. Gen. Tracey Michael's last day as Commanding General of the 68th Theater Medical Command he and Command Sgt. Maj. Kyle Brunell showed appreciation to several people before the Change of Command ceremony took place. These individuals have supported the 68th TMC as well as help make the Change of Command ceremony go flawless. Thank you for all your support to the 68th TMC and job well done!!!! (U.S. Army photos by Sgt. 1st Class Eric Johnson)
"CONSERVE POWER"
| Date Taken: | 06.08.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.11.2026 12:58 |
| Photo ID: | 9743435 |
| VIRIN: | 260609-A-JW006-3584 |
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This work, 68th TMC COC Recognition [Image 14 of 14], by SFC Eric Johnson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Jun 11, 2026 · via dvidshub.net
In August 2024, 52-year-old Robert Dillon was arrested after police said he tried to lure a child at a McDonald’s in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. The arrest came after the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office fed surveillance photos of the suspect into an AI-powered facial recognition tool, which said it was 93% certain the man in the photos was Dillon. But Dillon, a commercial crabber who lives in Fort Myers, had never been to Jacksonville Beach, more than 300 miles from his home. And it wasn’t him who approached a child at the McDonald’s. Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™. Point phone camera here Now Dillon is suing multiple law enforcement agencies, saying their reliance on a faulty facial recognition match led to his wrongful arrest. Although prosecutors dropped the charges and the arrest was wiped from his record, Dillon argues the incident caused considerable damage both mentally and financially. “The night I spent in jail after they arrested me for a crime I did not commit still haunts me to this day,” Dillon said in a statement. “I will never get over how terrified and worried I was, wondering if I’d ever go home to my wife and daughter again. Over a year later, I’m still picking up the pieces of my life, all because the police relied on this dangerous technology instead of doing their jobs and actually investigating.” The American Civil Liberties Union says Dilllon is the 15th person known to have been falsely arrested because of facial recognition in the U.S. Among them was an Oklahoma woman who filed a lawsuit earlier this year after a faulty facial recognition match caused her to spend a combined 6 months in jail in two states. Evidence allegedly withheld After the facial recognition match, an employee
Jun 11, 2026 · via san.com
ACLU Sues After Facial Recognition Falsely Identifies Florida Man as a Child Abductor Police arrested and charged Robert Dillon with a heinous crime based on nothing more than a faulty image search. Police arrested a man in Florida for attempted child abduction in a town he had never visited, and the only evidence linking him to the crime was an AI facial recognition hit. Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), he is now suing the officers and agencies who put him through it. In November 2023, police in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, responded to a call about an attempted child abduction at a McDonald's. Witnesses said an adult man allegedly tried to get the child, identified as a girl under 12 years old, to leave the restaurant with him. According to a police report, facial recognition software concluded with 93 percent confidence that the suspect was Robert Dillon. In August 2024, Deputies arrested Dillon at his home in Fort Myers, Florida—hundreds of miles away, at the opposite end of the state. "Are you shitting me, man?" Dillon asked the arresting deputy. "I haven't been out of Fort Myers in two years." Further, he also said he had never been to Jacksonville Beach. Dillon posted bail and pleaded not guilty to enticing or luring a child—a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. More than two months later, prosecutors dropped the charges after his attorney provided evidence that he was at work on the day in question. But that doesn't excuse the fact that he was only arrested in the first place, and threatened with prosecution for a particularly heinous offense, because of shoddy police work. The ACLU is now suing the city of Jacksonville Beach, as well as the individual police officers and officials involved in
Jun 11, 2026 · via reason.com
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Jun 11, 2026 · via yougov.com
Sigificant Internet Freedom Issues at Stake in Legal Battle Between Amazon and Perplexity Subscribe to the Free Future Newsletter Free Future home A legal battle between Amazon and the artificial intelligence company Perplexity is raising important issues about the freedom to use automated tools that gather information about online platforms. This case could deter journalism and research in the public interest and threaten criminal and civil liability for the use of common browser extensions. Amazon’s lawsuit against Perplexity is over an AI “agent” built into Perplexity’s browser, Comet, which can shop on Amazon’s website for the user. Because of this feature, Amazon claims that Perplexity should therefore be liable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), a broad and often over-used anti-hacking law that is intended to outlaw online behavior akin to breaking and entering. This fight will go before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on June 11 — and the consequences could impact much more than some might think. The ACLU has weighed in with a friend-of-the-court brief arguing that a decision in favor of Amazon could have far-reaching negative consequences, especially for journalists and researchers who use automated tools to investigate online platforms and hold them to account. In addition to the examples we wrote about in our brief, a win for Amazon could also impose liability on both developers and users of everyday tools that we use to surf the Web. AI agents are chatbots built on large language models (LLMs) that can also take actions (such as sending an email or buying toilet paper) on behalf of the user. Under the hood, it’s a combination of systems: there’s the LLM chatbot that acts as an interface for the user (e.g. where the user explains what email it wants sent), and there are other systems
Jun 11, 2026 · via aclu.org
CalorieScan AI is a food and nutrition tracking app that uses image recognition to analyze meals from photographs. With this tool, users can easily take a picture of their food, and the system identifies ingredients and provides estimated nutritional information. Nutritional metrics such as protein, carbohydrates, fat, and total calorie intake are presented in a easy-to-read, structured format, helping users monitor dietary habits over time. This makes it useful for people pursuing fitness goals, weight management, or general nutrition awareness. By turning a smartphone camera into a food journal, CalorieScan AI aims to make nutrition tracking more accessible and consistent. The result is a streamlined way to connect everyday eating habits with long-term health and wellness objectives. AI Nutrition Tracking CalorieScan AI Analyzes Meals from Photos to Estimate Nutrition Information Trend Themes - Photo-based Nutrition — Smartphone cameras are becoming frictionless diet journals as image recognition converts everyday meal photos into structured calorie and macronutrient estimates. - Passive Health Logging — Automated tracking reduces the burden of manual entry, creating room for wellness platforms that capture behavior patterns with minimal user effort. - Personalized Food Intelligence — AI-generated meal insights are linking individual eating habits with tailored fitness, weight management, and preventive health recommendations. Industry Implications - Digital Health — Nutrition analysis tools expand digital health ecosystems by connecting routine food choices with longitudinal wellness data and personalized care pathways. - Fitness Technology — App-based meal recognition gives fitness brands a richer view of user progress, pairing workout metrics with nutrition feedback for more holistic performance support. - Food and Beverage — Consumer demand for instant nutrition visibility creates new possibilities for restaurants, packaged food brands, and delivery platforms to integrate transparent meal data into purchase experiences.
Jun 11, 2026 · via trendhunter.com
Meta has removed all code referencing facial recognition technology from the Meta AI app just 24 hours after it was spotted, suggesting that the company's attempts to discreetly implement the software were either accidental or not meant to be noticed. Facial recognition tech has remained a controversial subject when it comes to AI, as while its implementation appears to be inevitable – and in some cases, has already been enacted – many believe it to be a breach of privacy and a safety concern. Companies like Ring Doorbell have been on the receiving end of backlash after showing off AI powered facial recognition features, especially as some claim it used lost pets to mask the more sinister concerns that people might have, and it seems like Meta is the next big company to test out similar ideas. As reported by WIRED, the company behind platforms like Facebook and Instagram appeared to quietly add code referencing facial recognition technology for its smart glasses to the companion AI app, which has been a speculated feature for a while now. Advert The system, internally referred to as NameTag, appears to be designed in a way that converts faces captured by the smart glasses' cameras into biometric signatures or 'faceprints' in a similar way to Sam Altman's new project, World. These are then stored within the device itself, and could hypothetically be linked with the aforementioned social media services to identify individuals by their face alone. An internal memo obtained by the New York Times seemed to suggest that the 'dynamic political environment' we're currently experiencing could be a perfect landing point for facial recognition software, as those who would strongly opposite it might be distracted by more pressing concerns across the world. What might come as an even greater shock, however, is the
Jun 11, 2026 · via uniladtech.com
On the trail of the missing hydrogen atoms Villigen, 11.06.2026 — To simulate the properties of materials, researchers use crystal structures of materials stored in databases. Often, however, these lack the positions of the hydrogen atoms. Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have now trained an artificial intelligence system to reconstruct these positions very quickly and efficiently. Their new method, called XtalPaint, will make it possible to simulate materials more accurately for a variety of applications: from efficient hydrogen storage to new batteries. Artificial intelligence is often used to generate images. In research, specialised AI models are used for scientific applications – for example, to predict the positions of atoms in materials. The MatterGen model developed by Microsoft can generate complex crystal structures from just a few pieces of information – which atoms should be present and in what proportions – and researchers can then use these structures for computer simulations of new materials. Now a scientific team led by Giovanni Pizzi from the PSI Center for Scientific Computing, Theory and Data, together with researchers from the universities of Parma and Modena in Italy, has found a way to use AI to solve a practical problem in materials science: locating missing atomic positions in otherwise known structures. As they report in the journal npj Computational Materials, the materials scientists used an approach normally employed in image processing or computer vision, that is, recognition and interpretation of visual information by means of AI. This allows materials that are experimentally known but have been theoretically inaccessible to be simulated for the first time or significantly better than before. Thus the researchers are contributing to the exploration of new materials with special properties, for hydrogen storage for example, or potentially for the development of new superconductors. “Invisible” hydrogen atoms “For our simulations
Jun 11, 2026 · via efd.admin.ch
The Computer Vision Pin takes question sout of the screen and into the physical world, turning concepts from image recognition technology into a collectible enamel accessory. The pin draws inspiration from artist Damjanski’s 2024 Berlin exhibition, which explored objects identified through computer vision systems. By shrinking those ideas into a wearable format, the design translates a technical process into a tangible artifact. Rather than functioning as a technology product, the pin acts as a conversation piece rooted in the intersection of art, artificial intelligence, and digital culture. Its aesthetic references the ways machines interpret and classify the visual world around them. The result is a niche collectible that appeals to developers, designers, artists, and technology enthusiasts who enjoy artifacts connected to computing culture. It offers a playful way to carry a concept from machine perception into everyday life. Image Credit: Computer Vision Pin What's Driving This Trend - Algorithmic Aesthetics - Machine perception is becoming a source of visual language for collectible products that translate technical systems into culturally resonant design objects. - Wearable Tech-symbolism - Everyday accessories are evolving into identity markers for digital communities, blending subtle references to artificial intelligence, coding, and computational culture. - Exhibition-to-merch Collectibles - Gallery concepts are finding new commercial life through limited-edition merchandise that makes conceptual art more portable, affordable, and socially shareable. Who This Affects Most - Art Merchandise - Niche collectibles tied to digital culture are expanding the role of museum and artist merchandise beyond souvenirs into intellectual lifestyle products. - Fashion Accessories - Pins, badges, and small wearables are gaining relevance as compact canvases for technology-inspired self-expression among creative and technical audiences. - Artificial Intelligence - AI concepts are moving into consumer culture as symbolic artifacts, creating space for products that represent complex systems through approachable physical design.
Jun 11, 2026 · via trendhunter.com
Florida plaintiff sues over faulty facial-recognition match Per an ACLU complaint filed June 10, 2026, Robert Dillon sued the Jacksonville Beach Police Department and two sheriff's offices after what the complaint describes as a false facial-recognition match that led to his arrest, according to the ACLU press release. CBS News reports Dillon said he lived more than 300 miles from the incident location and was later cleared. The Guardian reports the Jacksonville Beach police department recorded a 93% probability from its algorithm that Dillon matched the security-camera suspect. The ACLU's filing and media coverage say Dillon is at least the 15th person nationally to be charged or arrested following a facial-recognition match, per the ACLU; Jacksonville Beach police and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office declined to comment to reporters. What happened According to an ACLU press release and the court complaint filed on June 10, 2026, Robert Dillon sued the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, and the Pinellas County sheriff's office after he was arrested following a facial-recognition match. Per the ACLU complaint, Dillon was arrested in August 2024 after a law-enforcement employee ran grainy surveillance images through an AI-assisted facial-recognition system and identified Dillon as a possible match. CBS News reports Dillon told officers he lived more than 300 miles from the McDonald's where the alleged incident occurred and that the case was later dismissed. The Guardian reports the Jacksonville Beach police department recorded a 93% probability that the algorithm matched Dillon to the security-camera images. The ACLU press release states Dillon is one of at least 15 people nationally charged or arrested after a facial-recognition match. Technical details Editorial analysis - technical context: Public reporting identifies the disputed tool as the Faces system (Face Analysis Comparison and Examination), operated by the Pinellas County sheriff's office and
Jun 11, 2026 · via letsdatascience.com
Florida man blames wrongful arrest on "error-prone" AI facial recognition When police arrested Richard Dillon in 2023 for allegedly trying to "lure a child" away from a McDonald's in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, he told them he was more than 300 miles away at the time of the crime. The key evidence police used to puncture his alibi: facial recognition software matched an image of the suspect to Dillon's photo. Dillon was later cleared, and on Wednesday he became a plaintiff in a new ACLU lawsuit filed against the Jacksonville Beach Police Department and others over what he believes was a case of misuse of the AI-driven image matching technology. "Police let an error-prone artificial intelligence system stand in for an investigation," they argue in their complaint. The case is the latest attempt to establish guardrails for powerful new technology that police are increasingly using to solve one of the toughest aspects of any investigation — when they have an image of a suspect, but not that person's identity. Facial recognition is an increasingly common law enforcement tool, with public databases holding images of 117 million Americans, according to the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown Law School. Jacksonville Beach police and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office both declined to comment. The episode began in November 2023, when police say a man approached a 12-year-old in a McDonald's and tried to lure her away from her parents. A month later, Dillon received a call from Jacksonville Beach Police Officer Scott O'Connell. He says that during the call, O'Connell "accused me over and over again of a heinous crime that I knew I didn't commit". Dillon told CBS News he remembers thinking "my life is over. … AI says I did this, how am I going to prove that I didn't?" During
Jun 10, 2026 · via cbsnews.com
As Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico got ready to nominate his boss for a spot on the JEA board, he sent the candidate a text message: “Guess it’s time they get a new board member to show them who’s boss.. … You ready to play the game?” The text was sent Jan. 20, three weeks before Paul Martinez, head of the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida, was tapped for the utility’s board. The text was included in more that 1,000 documents Carrico delivered to the State Attorney’s Office in response to a subpoena on Feb. 24. Prosecutors sent the subpoena just days after a media report that Carrico had texted JEA board member Arthur Adams on Feb. 5 to say he would not be reappointed because the council president “owed a big favor to a friend and opted to put him of the JEA board.” That text also appeared in records delivered to the State Attorney’s Office. Jacksonville Today obtained Carrico’s response to prosecutors Tuesday, more than 100 days after requesting the documents from the city on Feb. 27. The disclosure followed dozens of emails and intervention from an attorney. Many of the 100 pages contain black-out information — or redactions — and a lack of context. But the material reveals new communications from Carrico to Martinez in the lead-up to the nomination and as media reports began to document it. Carrico officially nominated Martinez for the board seat Feb. 10, and the nomination was withdrawn at Martinez’s request on Feb. 24. Since late February, Carrico has accused JEA CEO Vickie Cavey of fostering a toxic workplace culture and made claims of racism at the utility’s corporate headquarters. He launched a City Council Special Investigatory Committee into JEA to investigate the largely anonymous claims. That led to
Jun 10, 2026 · via jaxtoday.org
A Fort Myers man is suing the Jacksonville Beach Police Department after he was wrongfully arrested almost two years ago due to a faulty facial recognition match, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. Robert Dillon, 52, sued the Jacksonville and Pinellas county sheriff’s offices and says police concealed evidence that shows he could not have committed the crime. Dillon was accused of trying to lure a child at a fast-food restaurant in Jacksonville Beach after the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office ran grainy surveillance photos of the suspect through an AI-assisted facial recognition program, the suit says. The program, operated by the Pinellas Sheriff’s Office, identified Dillon as a possible match. A restaurant employee also picked Dillon’s photo out of a lineup, and Jacksonville Beach police arrested him in August 2024. “The night I spent in jail after they arrested me for a crime I did not commit still haunts me to this day,” Dillon said in a news release about the lawsuit. “I will never get over how terrified and worried I was, wondering if I’d ever go home to my wife and daughter again. Over a year later, I’m still picking up the pieces of my life, all because the police relied on this dangerous technology instead of doing their jobs and actually investigating.” The Jacksonville and Pinellas sheriff’s offices did not respond to Jacksonville Today‘s requests for comment Wednesday. Jacksonville Beach Police Department spokesperson Tonya Tator said the agency would not comment on the advice of its attorney. Private attorney Steve Silverberg, whose New York-based firm filed the lawsuit with the ACLU, said Dillon’s case illustrates what happens when police deploy AI-assisted identification tools without adequate safeguards. “Digital information can be a powerful tool for law enforcement, but its proliferation, supercharged by the AI boom, carries
Jun 10, 2026 · via jaxtoday.org
Florida Man Sues Police Over Wrongful Arrest Due to False Facial Recognition Match Robert Dillon, a long-time commercial crabber, was arrested for a crime he never committed in a city he’d never been to JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Robert Dillon is suing the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, as well as the Jacksonville and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Offices, after he was wrongfully arrested due to a faulty facial recognition match. The police relied on an incorrect result from facial recognition technology to get an arrest warrant, while concealing evidence that showed he could not have committed the crime he was being accused of. He is one of 15 known people to have this happen to them in the United States. “The night I spent in jail after they arrested me for a crime I did not commit still haunts me to this day. I will never get over how terrified and worried I was, wondering if I’d ever go home to my wife and daughter again,” said Robert Dillon. “Over a year later, I’m still picking up the pieces of my life, all because the police relied on this dangerous technology instead of doing their jobs and actually investigating. Florida police must implement safeguards and ensure this never happens to anyone else, because until they do, nobody is safe.” Fifty-two-year-old Robert Dillon lives in Fort Myers, Florida with his wife and daughter. His life was irreparably changed in August 2024, when police arrested him for a crime he never committed. Mr. Dillon was accused of trying to lure a child at a fast-food restaurant in Jacksonville Beach, more than 300 miles away from his home, after a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office employee ran grainy surveillance photos of the suspect through an AI-assisted facial recognition program, which identified Dillon as a possible match. Using
Jun 10, 2026 · via aclu.org