https://gizmodo.com/mgs-facial-recognition-msg-rockettes-show-1849919528 [gizmodo.com]
An attorney working for a law firm taking legal action against MSG Entertainment claims she was spotted by the company’s facial recognition security system while attending a Rockettes show with her daughter and was ultimately denied entry.
The lawyer, a mother named Kelly Conlon, reportedly traveled to New York City with her daughter as part of a Girl Scouts field trip to see “The Christmas Spectacular.” Conlon claims she was apprehended by the venue’s security staff immediately after walking through metal detectors and asked to say her name and provide an ID. One of the guards, Conlon said in an interview with NBC New York, allegedly told her she was “picked up” by their recognition system.
Conlon told NBC New York she saw signs on the wall alerting guests facial recognition was in use. For context, MSG Entertainment, which runs Radio City Music Hall, reportedly started introducing facial recognition to venues in 2018 in an effort to “bolster security.” Since then, the technology’s grown increasingly popular at live events and large sports stadiums.
“They knew my name before I told them,” Conlon told NBC New York.” They knew the firm I was associated with before I told them. And they told me I was not allowed to be there.”
“It was embarrassing, it was mortifying,” Conlon said. “I was just a mom taking my daughter to see a Christmas show.”
“While we understand this policy is disappointing to some, we cannot ignore the fact that litigation creates an inherently adverse environment,” MSG added. “All impacted attorneys were notified of the policy, including Davis, Saperstein and Salomon, which was notified twice,” a spokesperson for MSG Entertainment said in a statement.