Boston city councilors are pushing to ban facial recognition, a surveillance software that disproportionately misidentifies people of color and may violate civil rights and basic privacies.
“The department, for the record, does not currently have the technology for facial recognition,” said Police Commissioner William G. Gross.
Although the BPD has no desire to generally surveil Boston’s residents, said Gross, the department notes a distinction between facial surveillance systems and facial recognition technology.
He added that facial recognition technology with well-established guidelines and under strict review would be helpful to the city.
Facial surveillance technology also raises concerns over monitoring students in schools.
