Facial Recognition Fail: Rep. DeSaulnier Falsely ID'd As Criminal

WALNUT CREEK, CA — Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Walnut Creek, was one of the 28 members of the U.S. Congress falsely matched to criminal mug shots by Amazon's facial recognition technology, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California.

The ACLU reported Thursday that the technology, which is being used by some police departments, incorrectly matched the legislators with people who had been charged with a crime.

The false matches disproportionately identified representatives of color, including six members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the ACLU said.

"I am deeply concerned by Amazon's development and deployment of a faulty facial recognition system that mismatched me and others," DeSaulnier said in a statement.

"On top of the threat and excessive nature of constant surveillance, the potential for confusion and false identification that could lead to unjust detention and even prosecution is too high," he said. "Amazon
must slow down and consider not just its profit margin, but the impact on society that this technology will have."

DeSaulnier, along with Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, and Rep. Luis Guitierrez, D-Illinois, have written to Amazon with concerns about the sale of the technology to law enforcement agencies, the ACLU said.

— Bay City News; Image via US Congress