Police pushback on NFL facial recognition policy could spread beyond Vegas

Las Vegas police continue to refuse to recognize the NFL’s new facial recognition-based access management policy, citing concerns about the collection of officers’ biometric data.

The Associated Press reports that Las Vegas Police Protective Association President Steve Grammas spent an hour prior to the August 23 preseason game at the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium explaining to the NFL that “officers would wear only wristbands to gain entry and not subject themselves to photo identification or any kind of biometrics.”

“They didn’t like it, but they didn’t have a choice,” Grammas told the AP. “We told them what we were going to do.”

The NFL’s new system will see Wicket’s face authentication deployed at all 30 of the league’s stadiums this coming season. In tandem with accreditation software from Accredit Solutions, the identity access management (IAM) system checks credentials at security checkpoints in order to limit access to restricted areas to media, officials, staff and guests that have enrolled their face biometrics. Usage is limited to identity verification.

In comments to AP, the league takes a diplomatic approach. “We’ve had productive conversations with the LVPPA and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) about our modernized, secure credentialing system for all working staff,” says a statement. “The credentialing system will enhance security at our stadiums, and we look forward to working with all stakeholders to address any questions or concerns raised.”

The scrimmage between police and the NFL over facial biometrics looks set to expand across the league. KSNV Las Vegas notes comments from Grammas indicating that “police departments in other cities with NFL teams including Houston and Denver are closely following Metro’s response to the demand for biometrics.”

Their biometric data collection objection may appear contradictory to those who have followed the rapid and enthusiastic uptake of facial recognition in law enforcement agencies across the U.S. in recent years. An investigation by Vice Media found that the LVMPD conducted 924 facial recognition searches in 2019 alone, more than half of them using low-quality images. At the time, their provider was Vigilant Solutions, a subsidiary of Motorola that also performs license plate recognition (LPR).

Public protests over MLB Go-Ahead Entry

In fairness to police, many in the public also object to facial recognition technology being widely deployed in stadiums. NBC reports on a protest against the MLB biometric Go-Ahead Entry system – a proprietary system that relies on biometrics from NEC – outside Citi Field before a recent New York Mets home game. The small group of protesters included members of digital rights advocacy group Fight for the Future and New York-based nonprofit Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP).

Fight for the Future has published an open letter signed by ten other rights organizations and also delivered to New York City Council, arguing that “most facial recognition technology stores people’s biometric data in massive databases, and no matter what tech companies say about the safety of that data, they cannot ensure its security.”

It also notes the potential for scope creep. “As seemingly innocuous use cases proliferate, like paying for a sandwich, it creates the impression that facial recognition is ‘safe and normal.’ That in turn makes you more likely to accept ever-more invasive uses, and gets us closer to a future in which facial recognition is everywhere.” As such, the letter calls on professional sports leagues to “take immediate action to protect fans, workers and players by keeping stadiums free of facial recognition and all biometric technologies.”

Wicket to talk biometrics for fan access at Identity Week

For its part, Wicket says it is serious about its commitments to privacy and data security. In comments made to Wired, Wicket COO Jeff Boehm says, “as with many new technologies, there is misinformation out there about how the technology is being used. Contrary to some of these claims, Wicket’s use is always 100 percent opt-in (and users can opt-out at any time) and we are not scanning people’s faces without their consent. The data is not shared or sold to any third parties.”

The issue will be on the agenda at Identity Week in Washington, DC on September 12, where Wicket Head of Product Adam Spaulding will discuss integrating biometrics into the fan experience in a panel with Brandon Covert, VP of information technology for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns; Christian Lau, CTO of the Los Angeles Football Club; and Oscar Fernandez, senior VP and head of technology for the New York Mets.

Revolutionizing Game Days: Integrating Biometric Technology for Sports Fans takes place at 14:20 in Theatre 2 on the conference’s second day.

Article Topics

access control  |  biometrics  |  data privacy  |  face biometrics  |  facial authentication  |  identity verification  |  MLB Go-Ahead Entry  |  NEC  |  NFL  |  police  |  Wicket