California 'boldly' bans facial recognition in body cams, ACLU | SC Media

California 'boldly' bans facial recognition in body cams, ACLU | SC Media

With a flourish of a pen Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom blocked police in California from using facial recognition technology in their body cameras.


The Body Camera Accountability Act bans the use of facial recognition technology in body cams for three years. It prohibits “a law enforcement agency or law enforcement officer from installing, activating or using any biometric surveillance system in connection with an officer camera or data collected by an officer camera,” the bill said, noting that it “would authorize a person to bring an action for equitable or declaratory relief against a law enforcement agency or officer who violates that prohibition.”


California has crafted some of the strongest data and privacy protections in the country and has been particularly concerned about the use of facial recognition technology as a surveillance tool with San Francisco in May banning police and city agencies from using it.


The new bill calls the use of facial recognition technology “the functional equivalent ..

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