The Maine Wire
  • News
  • Commentary
  • Maine Wire TV
  • About
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending News
  • Portland School Board to Confirm New Superintendent Tuesday with “Unapologetic Commitment to Equity”
  • Maine Democratic Rep Wants Respectful Burials for Coyotes but Cosponsors Late Term Abortion Bill
  • RSU 10 School Board Candidate Labels Republican Rep “Bigot” for Backing School Transparency
  • Top Maine Businesses Are Funding Push for Late-Term Abortion and Far Left “Trans” Policies
  • Taxpayer-Funded Domestic Violence Resource Center Sponsors ‘Drag Story Time’ at Sanford Library
  • The Maine Wire Podcast: Sen. Trey Stewart
  • Pro-Abortion Satanist Berates Christians Protesting Outside Portland Planned Parenthood
  • Liberals Roast “Great White Mother” Mills for Opposition to Tribal Sovereignty Bill
Facebook Twitter Instagram
The Maine Wire
Login
Sunday, June 4
  • News
  • Commentary
  • Maine Wire TV
  • About
  • Contact
The Maine Wire
Home » News » Facial recognition ban comes as a victory for the privacy of all Mainers
Commentary

Facial recognition ban comes as a victory for the privacy of all Mainers

Nick LinderBy Nick LinderJuly 7, 2021No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Reddit
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Facial recognition tech cannot be used as a tool by the government for mass surveillance.

Thankfully, the Legislature has put a stop to such a situation becoming a reality in Maine.

A new, nation-leading ban on facial recognition technology (FRT) was passed into law on July 1.

The law, LD 1585, sponsored by Rep. Grayson Lookner (D-Portland), passed unanimously in both chambers and was made law without the Governor’s signature last week. It will take effect Oct. 1, 2021.

It is one of the toughest restrictions in the nation on the up-and-coming technology and comes at a time when, thankfully, more and more states are questioning and reconsidering the use of FRT by police.

It’s a broad ban of the technology at all levels of government in Maine, though it does have some exceptions for law enforcement purposes.

The Maine law allows police to conduct an FRT search of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) databases if they have probable cause to believe an unidentified person in an image has committed a crime. Such requests and their status will be tracked and kept as public record by the Bureau of State Police and the BMV.

The law’s text makes clear that an FRT match is not sufficient evidence for probable cause without other evidence, though. So, based on a facial scan alone, an individual cannot be subject to an arrest or personal search.

The new rules also give individuals the option to file a lawsuit if they believe a government agency or public official has broken the law.

The ACLU of Maine praised the bill, lauding it as the strongest measure in the nation to set the limits of this new technology’s ability to restrict citizens’ civil liberties.

The only other state that’s taken a legal approach to reining in the power of FRT, and the companies that wield it, is Washington. There, lawmakers implemented a less-than-ideal measure.

Backed by Microsoft, their bill regulated FRT used for real-time identification and ongoing surveillance, but it in no way prevents mass public surveillance, like at sporting events, street corners, or in places of worship.

Maine’s new law, on the other hand, has a much more concrete ban against FRT in all forms, including use by public officials and agencies to surveil their citizens.

Privacy alone, though, is not the only cause for concern with FRT.

Multiple studies have been conducted, including by researchers at Harvard, that have found FRT more frequently misidentifies women and minorities than white men. The fact law enforcement is using technology that does not fairly and equally identify people of all demographics is problematic at best.

A 2018 study named “Gender Shades” found that there is up to a 34% difference in error rates in FRT among different demographics. Not only does the technology impose upon the privacy of citizens in an unprecedented way, but it has major discrepancies in accuracy depending on how the person scanned looks.

As shown in the graph above, made by the Associated Press, the “Gender Shades” project found severe discrepancies in FRT’s accuracy.

FRT has the potential to be used as a tool of the government to surveil its population in something straight out of an Orwell novel. It is an affront to the civil liberties of people across the country, and we must pump the brakes on it.

Thankfully, lawmakers in the Pine Tree State have come together to prevent this technology from abusing their residents. This law is another step at reining in unwieldy state power, and it should be celebrated.

ACLU Bias bureaucracy civil liberties civil rights Commentary facial recognition facial recognition technology Featured FRT individual freedom Individual Liberty law lawsuit LD 1585 Maine ACLU Microsoft Opinion police probable cause regulations
Previous ArticleDepartment of Labor announces updates to its Back-to-Work grant program
Next Article Maine-based school choice case headed for Supreme Court
Nick Linder

Nicholas Linder, of Cincinnati, is a communications Intern for Maine Policy Institute. He is going into his second year of studying finance and public policy analysis at The Ohio State University. On campus, he is involved with Students Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations and Business for Good.

Related Posts

Press Herald Quotes Fake “Small Business Coalition” Without Disclosing Funding Ties to Liberal Dark Money Groups

May 26, 2023

Maine Mom Wonders What Would Happen Today to Tomboy Daughter: Letter

May 23, 2023

Old Town School Board Hits Pause Button on Proposed Transgender Policy

May 23, 2023

Leave A Reply

Recent News

Portland School Board to Confirm New Superintendent Tuesday with “Unapologetic Commitment to Equity”

June 2, 2023

Maine Democratic Rep Wants Respectful Burials for Coyotes but Cosponsors Late Term Abortion Bill

June 2, 2023

RSU 10 School Board Candidate Labels Republican Rep “Bigot” for Backing School Transparency

June 2, 2023

Top Maine Businesses Are Funding Push for Late-Term Abortion and Far Left “Trans” Policies

June 2, 2023

Taxpayer-Funded Domestic Violence Resource Center Sponsors ‘Drag Story Time’ at Sanford Library

June 2, 2023
Newsletter

News

  • News
  • Campaigns & Elections
  • Opinion & Commentary
  • Media Watch
  • Education
  • Media

Maine Wire

  • About the Maine Wire
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Commentary
  • Complaints
  • Maine Policy Institute

Resources

  • Maine Legislature
  • Legislation Finder
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Maine Wire TV

Facebook Twitter Instagram Steam RSS
  • Post Office Box 7829, Portland, Maine 04112

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Sign In or Register

Welcome Back!

Login below or Register Now.

Lost password?

Register Now!

Already registered? Login.

A password will be e-mailed to you.