Aug 25, 2021 - Technology

Federal agencies to expand use of facial recognition

Noah Garfinkel

A computer using facial recognition showing people being recognized — Joan Cros/Corbis via Getty Images

Ten federal agencies plan on expanding the use of Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) by 2023, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released Tuesday.

Why it matters: How to use these technologies ethically and how to regulate related products will become major questions as more government agencies begin using them.

Driving the news: The ten agencies cited in the GAO report are the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Interior, Justice, State, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs.

Many federal agencies want to use this technology for solving crimes, which could be a violation of privacy, per the Washington Post.
In a June GAO report, the report described how the U.S. Postal Inspection Service would use Clearview AI to solve mail-related crimes.

The big picture: Many tech companies are stalling law enforcement's adoption of this technology.

In June 2020, Amazon stopped the sale of FRT to the police for one year, citing a lack of federal regulation over these products. The ban was extended indefinitely in May 2021.

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Federal agencies to expand use of facial recognition

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