FaceFirst helps US lawmakers draft facial recognition privacy regulations

FaceFirst revealed it is working closely with U.S. lawmakers on facial biometrics privacy regulations, and to help the bipartisan Commercial Facial Recognition Privacy Act of 2019 (S. 847) move forward. Company executives including FaceFirst President and CEO Peter Trepp recently meet with bill co-sponsor Senator Roy Blunt’s office to address the importance of consumer privacy in an ecosystem where users can still take advantage of the opportunities the technology has to offer.

“While we’re seeing rapid market adoption of facial recognition technology, there remain valid concerns that this technology needs to be regulated and used responsibly,” said FaceFirst President and CEO Peter Trepp. “Regulations are necessary guardrails for protecting privacy, but it’s essential that they don’t unduly compromise public safety or stifle innovation.”

“Congressional lawmakers see and understand that retailers need facial recognition technology to combat organized retail crime, shoplifter recidivism, and to keep their employees and customers safe,” stated FaceFirst Chief Revenue Officer Dara Riordan. Due to high levels of recidivism, ORC costs the U.S. retail industry $46.8 billion every year according to the National Retail Federation.

Facial recognition has become a popular technology widely deployed in a number of institutions. One of the discussion topics on Capitol Hill was the commercial use potential of facial recognition such as more robust transaction security and enhanced customer experience.

The company’s current focus is to assist legislators in examining and shaping facial recognition legislation in the US by recommending solutions to boost privacy without an obstruction of innovation.

“The right regulations can alleviate public concerns and fast-track mass adoption,” explained FaceFirst CEO Peter Trepp. “That’s why we’re partnering with lawmakers to ensure that regulations are a win-win for consumers and vendors alike.”

This summer, FaceFirst launched FaceFirst version 6.6, a new version of its biometric enterprise computer vision platform with improved face detection performance in challenging conditions, broader camera compatibility, simplified scalability and system and camera health monitoring. Earlier this year, it partnered with the Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) to enhance its LPQualified and LPCertified certification programs for loss prevention leaders with biometric privacy and compliance training.

Amazon recently announced that the company’s public policy team is working on its own proposals for facial recognition regulation. Meanwhile, a coalition of 39 groups including the International Biometrics + Identity Association (IBIA) and non-profit public sector technology alliance IJIS Institute, has sent a letter to U.S. Congress arguing against bans on the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement agencies.

Article Topics

best practices  |  biometrics  |  ethics  |  FaceFirst  |  facial recognition  |  privacy  |  regulation  |  United States