When Safety Impacts Liberty: Congressional Hearing Reveals Deep Concerns About Federal Surveillance Practices

by Anthony Kimery | Biometric Update

America’s surveillance architecture has grown from an opaque counterterrorism framework into a complex and far-reaching system with deep implications for civil liberties. The federal government’s expanding use of facial recognition, AI, and data aggregation tools has prompted urgent concerns among civil rights advocates, legal scholars, technologists, and lawmakers. And their message is clear: without stronger oversight, warrant requirements and transparency, the very technologies deployed in the name of safety may become the greatest threat to Americans’ freedoms.

Last year, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights detailed in a 194-page report how federal agencies are using these technologies in criminal investigations and civil services. While the report acknowledged the potential benefits of facial recognition in improving law enforcement capabilities, identifying human trafficking victims, and expediting airport screenings, it also raised a red flag. The commission said the tools are being used in a regulatory vacuum that lacks adequate standards, oversight, and training.

The commission cited troubling disparities in the accuracy of facial recognition systems across race and gender lines, which open the door to discriminatory outcomes, said Commission Chare Rochelle Garza, who warned that the unregulated use of facial recognition “poses significant risks to civil rights, especially for marginalized groups who have historically borne the brunt of discriminatory practices.” Read Full Article >