ITIF Welcomes Facial Recognition Technology Warrant Act

WASHINGTON—In response to the introduction today of the Facial Recognition Technology Warrant Act by U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the world’s leading think tank for science and technology policy, released the following statement from ITIF Vice President Daniel Castro:

The Facial Recognition Technology Warrant Act is a welcome addition to the debate about how to properly balance public safety and privacy for Americans. This legislation would establish appropriate safeguards for facial recognition by establishing a warrant requirement for law enforcement to track the movement of individuals. It would also expand and improve federal testing of facial recognition systems to ensure they are accurate and reflect real-world conditions. These types of policies are necessary and appropriate to address reasonable concerns by the public about how law enforcement might use facial recognition technology in the future and ensure the government uses it appropriately. At the same time, this legislation correctly recognizes that facial recognition is a valuable investigatory tool by law enforcement and provides a welcome alternative to bans and moratoriums on this technology. We look forward to working with Congress as it moves forward with this legislation.

For additional background, see ITIF’s recent Statement to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Regarding Facial Recognition and Civil Liberties.