Portland Bans Entities From Using Facial Recognition Technologies

Thursday, September 10, 2020

The Metropolis of Portland, Oregon turns into the primary metropolis in america to ban the usage of facial recognition applied sciences within the personal sector citing, amongst different issues, an absence of requirements for the expertise and broad ranges in accuracy and error charges that differ by race and gender. Failure to conform may be painful. Much like the treatment obtainable below the Illinois Biometric Data Privateness Act, fueling a whole bunch of sophistication motion lawsuits, the Ordinance offers individuals injured by a fabric violation a reason behind motion for damages or $1,000 per day for every day of violation, whichever is bigger. The Ordinance is efficient January 1, 2021.

Facial recognition expertise has change into extra widespread in recent times, together with through the COVID-19 pandemic. As the necessity arose to display individuals getting into a facility for signs of the virus, together with temperature, thermal cameras, kiosks, and different gadgets with embedded with facial recognition capabilities had been put into use. Nevertheless, many have objected to the usage of this expertise in its present kind, citing issues with the accuracy of the expertise, as summarized in a June 9, 2020 New York Occasions article, “A Case for Banning Facial Recognition.”

Underneath the Ordinance, a “personal entity” shall not use “face recognition applied sciences” in “locations of public lodging” within the boundaries of the Metropolis of Portland. Facial recognition applied sciences below the Ordinance means

an automatic or semi-automated course of that assists in figuring out, verifying, detecting, or characterizing facial options of a person or capturing details about a person based mostly on a person’s face

Locations of public lodging embody anywhere or service providing to the general public lodging, benefits, services, or privileges whether or not within the nature of products, providers, lodgings, amusements, transportation or in any other case. This covers nearly any personal enterprise and group. Notice, Portland additionally handed a separate ordinance prohibiting the usage of facial recognition expertise by town authorities.

There are some exceptions, nevertheless. Locations of public lodging don’t embody “an establishment, bona fide membership, personal residence, or place of lodging that’s in its nature distinctly personal.” It isn’t clear from the Ordinance what it means to be “distinctly personal.” Additionally, the Ordinance doesn’t apply:

When facial recognition applied sciences are essential to adjust to federal state or native regulation,
For consumer verification functions by a person to entry the person’s personal private or employer issued communication and digital gadgets, or
To computerized face detection providers in social media functions.

So, in Portland, staff can nonetheless let their faces get them into their telephones, together with their company-provided gadgets. However, companies in Portland ought to consider whether or not they’re utilizing facial recognition applied sciences, whether or not they fall into one of many exceptions within the ordinance, and if not what options they’ve for verification, safety, and different functions for which the expertise was carried out.