Legislation banning masks during protests has gained traction in several states, reports The Marshall Project, which, when paired with law enforcement surveillance technology, puts protestors at an increased risk of being harassed and arrested for exercising their First Amendment rights. Such surveillance technology includes gait analysis technology, geofence warrants, automated license plate reading cameras, and facial recognition tools. Nicole Napolitano, Ph.D., Director of Research Strategy at CPE, explains the pitfalls of facial recognition in particular:
“There are lots of different tools that are available to law enforcement. Facial recognition is one of those tools that it’s about expediency,” said Nicole Napolitano, director of research at the Center for Policing Equity. But it’s not without its pitfalls. Like PimEyes, tools like Clearview AI can make mistakes and incorrectly identify people, leading to erroneous arrests. “Police have become increasingly reliant on and then biased by what the model tells them,” said Napolitano.
Read the full article on WIRED’s website.