Security News > 2021 > July > Regulating facial recognition technology? It's the 'Wild West out there,' says US law boffin
The role of facial-recognition technology was put under the microscope earlier this week after the US House Committee on the Judiciary heard evidence about how it's used by law enforcement agencies.
Dr Cedric Alexander, a former member of President Barack Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, underlined the minefield facing lawmakers by laying out how, on the one hand, FRT can promote justice and "Even save lives" but not if it means sacrificing constitutional rights.
"Facial recognition technology has been useful in law enforcement and, I believe, will continue to develop technically and therefore become even more useful," said Dr Alexander [PDF].
Barry Friedman, a professor of law with links to New York University School of Law, said the debate around FRT wasn't just a question of drawing up a list of pros and cons.
"This is untenable. Some agencies may use FRT wisely; some agencies are doing just the opposite. It is the Wild West out there."
Yesterday, civil rights campaigners in the US called on retailers to stop using facial-recognition technology amid privacy concerns and fears that it could lead to people being wrongly arrested.