Contrary to early account , Orlando police confirmed Monday they will renew a contract with Amazon to pilot its controversial face recognition software system , Rekognition — a move that is sure to reignite fear of seclusion and civil liberties advocate who have fight back against law enforcement ’s exercise of the technology .
The American Civil Liberties Unionreleased emailsin June that provided new details on how police force were using Rekognition . In response , Amazonemployees , shareholders , as well as polite rightfield groups wrote letters petitioning Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to terminate the contracts with police .
While the original test stop end , the OPD will before long baby-sit down with Amazon representatives to delineate the young pilot , the police force section told theOrlando Sentinel .
“ It ’s really to keep the next tragedy , ” Orlando Police Chief John Mina said .
newsworthiness of OPD supposedly end its use of Rekognitionon footage charm by a number of CCTV camera came just a day after the ACLU senta letterto Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer regarding the brass recognition programme . But the end day of the month for the initial pilot period had already been selected — it just happened to cooccur with the ACLU ’s written report and the ensue backlash from civil rights group .
Now , with the political platform set to go forward , Dyer says the practice is not as dystopian as it seems .
“ Facial recognition is already being used everywhere , ” Dyer told the Sentinel . “ I see people open their iPhones with it . When I come back in the country they do facial recognition for my Customs and Border Patrol entry . This is just using it in a little bit panoptic sense for crime bar or offense apprehension . I think we ’ll be capable to balance that indigence . It ’s not something where we ’re going braggy brother and following everybody . ”
item on the new pilot are thin . OPD corroborate it will quiz Rekognition on at least eight television camera , as it did before , though their location is n’t known . In the late trial program , five Rekognition - enabled photographic camera captured footage at OPD headquarters , while three additional tv camera were position in downtown Orlando .
As Mayor Dyer points out , face recognition is becoming more and more common — airdrome expend it , as do football stadiums , concert halls , even unproblematic schools . A memo between the Mayor ’s Office and OPD officials , which an OPD spokesperson partake with Gizmodo , mentions using expression recognition on visitors in schools to check against sex wrongdoer databases . Schools in New Yorkare exploring this option as well .
During its initial examination phase , Rekognition will rake officeholder ’ faces against a face database made up of volunteers . The design , the OPD memoranda explains , is for officers themselves to walk in front of the cameras and memorialize how accurately the technology recognizes them from different angle , with dissimilar apparel , or other variables . It ’s not known how long this initial examination form will last , though the city design to draft proposed regulations before any public rollout set about . It ’s worth take note that pilot itself requires no public approving and Dyer has wholeheartedly supported Rekognition . “ No image of the public will be used for any testing , ” OPD say in a affirmation .
Concerns raise by activists , politicians , and Amazon proletarian following the ACLU report remain unaddressed by either Amazon or the OPD . Congressional Black Caucus member Reps . Keith Ellison and Emanuel Cleaver releasedan open letterto Bezos in May , asking : “ What steps is Amazon require to ensure that Rekognition is not facilitate systems that disproportionately bear on people found on protected characteristics in potential violation of federal civil rights law ? ”
Whether Amazon feels obligation for providing tech that could be misused remain an open head , as vexation of police force misconduct are parallel to concerns about the tech .
[ Orlando Sentinel ]
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