Dallas police plan most expansive local facial recognition program in US

Dallas Police are considering expanding their use of Clearview AI’s facial recognition to less-serious crimes like trespassing and package theft. The plan, predictably, is facing some criticism.

Originally adopted for serious felonies like murder and rape, Dallas Police are now proposing to search the all the images on the public internet for alleged Class B misdemeanors with Clearview AI’s facial recognition, local ABC affiliate WFAA reports.

Dallas police contracted Clearview’s facial recognition around the middle of last year. The force says it has used the biometric technology 156 times since, and it has contributed to 25 arrests.

Police officials told the Community Police Oversight Board that the technology had been “vital” to those arrests.

Nate Freed Wessler of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project called for the proposal to be rejected, saying the broader application of the technology with the broadest database in the world is “really dangerous.”

Clearview strikes out Vermont AG

Clearview AI has won a victory in court, with a lawsuit filed by Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark thrown out due to the company’s lack of local business.

Claims under the state’s Consumer Protection Act were dismissed by Washington County Superior Court Judge Daniel Richardson, on grounds that the state court does not have jurisdiction over the company. Clearview has no contracts in the state, so the law does not provide a basis for authority over its treatment of the data of state residents, he ruled.

“This ruling is a call to the Legislature to act to protect Vermonters — the court has told us they cannot help us,” Clark told VTDigger. “This is a classic example of technology outpacing the law.”

The attempt is the third by state authorities to sue Clearview for scraping the biometric data of state residents and then selling access to the data.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  Clearview AI  |  criminal ID  |  facial recognition  |  police  |  Texas