Back in 2019, the City of San Francisco became the first major American city to ban the use of facial recognition technology for the police and other agencies. Soon after, nearby cities, such as Berkeley and Oakland, adopted the same policy.
But, last week a lawsuit filed by the non-profit, Secure Justice, alleges that the San Francisco Police Department violated this ban many times in the past four years.
The suit claims that SFPD has been using these technologies through neighboring agencies, as revealed in emails sent by officers. Previously, SFPD has acknowledged violations, but the suit alleges that multiple instances have been omitted in their annual reports.
SFPD is not the only agency that the suit says violates the ban. The suit cites social media surveillance used by the Human Services Agency, as well as a “people counter” by the Recreation and Parks Department.
This follows the passing of Proposition E, which weakened the ban so that SFPD can seek approval of new surveillance technology within a year of using it.
Critics of facial recognition technology have said how it is often inaccurate and leads to false arrests, with disproportionate effects on Black and brown people. A study cited in the suit, found a 35 percent error rate in identifying darker-skinned women.
The suit wants a court order against the use of facial recognition technology, as well as an audit by the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability for the past five years.