Portland

2020: Prohibition on use of the systems of face recognition

At the beginning of September, 2020 it became known that Portland became the first city in the USA where prohibited the non-state companies use of the systems of face recognition. Prohibition concerns all private enterprises, public institutions and also individuals if it is about "places of public use".

Measures for suppression of use of the systems of face recognition in the USA were considered also in other American cities, in particular in Boston, Auckland, San Francisco, however for the first time made up the mind to so radical step in Portland. The solution becomes effective immediately, extending to all departments of the city, including police department. As for private business in Portland, shops, restaurants and hotels will have to refuse sensing technologies of persons since January 1, 2021.

The USA for the first time prohibited the companies to use the systems of face recognition

It is really historical day for Portland, - the mayor Ted Wheeler after adoption of two resolutions told. Residents of Portland deserve peace of mind. They deserve transparency from private institutions as well as public institutions... I hope that other cities, big and small, and worldwide will follow in this country their example.

Wheeler also explained that the innovative technologies are intended to facilitate life of citizens. The public and private institutions should not use them as weapon against citizens. The mayor expressed concern that the systems of face recognition were applied including to observation of participants of protest actions who are observed in the city more than 100 days after the death of Afro-American George Floyd who in May, 2020 died during detention by police officers in Minneapolis (State of Minnesota). The solution of local authorities was supported by human rights activists, in particular representatives of ACLU who repeatedly paid attention that sensing technologies of persons function with failures.^[1]

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