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Amazon Bans Police From Using its Facial Recognition Software for One Year

posted by Fnord666 on Friday June 12 2020, @12:17AM   Printer-friendly
from the they-had-this-why? dept.

takyon writes:

Amazon announces one-year ban on police use of facial recognition tech

Amazon is instituting a one-year moratorium on police use of Rekognition, its facial recognition software, the company announced on Wednesday.

"We've advocated that governments should put in place stronger regulations to govern the ethical use of facial recognition technology," Amazon wrote in its blog post announcing the change. "Congress appears ready to take on this challenge. We hope this one-year moratorium might give Congress enough time to implement appropriate rules."

Amazon says that groups like the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children will continue to have access to the technology.

Sounds like a job for Palantir.

Also at CNBC, Ars Technica, and (older) Amazon Says The Face Recognition Tech It Sells to Cops Can Now Detect 'Fear'.

Previously:
(2019-12-14) Palantir Wins New Pentagon Deal With $111 Million From the Army

IBM Will No Longer Offer, Develop, or Research Facial Recognition Technology

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday June 12 2020, @01:44AM (3 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Friday June 12 2020, @01:44AM (#1006714) Journal

    In the 1940's, didn't IBM stop doing business with the Nazis, kinda after the fact, in light of all those dead Jews in concentration camps?

    WTF does Bezos hope to accomplish, now that every cop shop in the country already has access to facial recognition? Oh, let me answer my own question: public relations.

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  • (Score: 3, Touché) by takyon on Friday June 12 2020, @01:51AM (1 child)

    by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Friday June 12 2020, @01:51AM (#1006718) Journal

    A one-year moratorium is a bold move. After all, it's bold to assume that Congress will actually get together and pass legislation.

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    • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 12 2020, @01:58AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 12 2020, @01:58AM (#1006721)

      After all, it's bold to assume that Congress will actually get together and pass legislation.

      Not bold, just italic

  • (Score: 2) by legont on Friday June 12 2020, @03:50AM

    by legont (4179) on Friday June 12 2020, @03:50AM (#1006760)

    A rational reaction would be to buy from a more reliable provider such as China or Russia.

    Besides, Amazon just flexed it's monopoly muscle and for this alone any sane future government should make sure it never happens again. I am sure this will come no matter what kind of government we will have.

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