SIA-led coalition expresses concerns over facial recognition bans in letter to Congress

Oct. 18, 2019
Industry groups urge federal lawmakers to create ‘consistent set of rules’ across U.S.

The Security Industry Association (SIA) – as part of a coalition of organizations and trade associations – issued a letter to Congress this week outlining its concerns over potential bans on public-sector uses of facial recognition technology.

In the letter, the coalition – which also includes the Airports Council International – North America, the American Association of Airport Executives, the Consumer Technology Association, the Global Business Travel Association, the Identification Technology Association, the Information Biometrics + Identity Association, NetChoice and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – encourage lawmakers to collaborate with all stakeholders to address concerns about the use of facial recognition technology and recommend federal leaders provide a consistent set of rules across the United States.

Additionally, the letter, which was addressed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Democratic  Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), outlines the history of facial recognition and its prevalent use across various industries, the potential consequences of a moratorium on the technology and recent innovation and work to ethically and responsibly govern the technology.

“Recent calls for bans on facial recognition technology are based on a misleading picture of how the technology works and is used today,” SIA CEO Don Erickson said in a statement. “Facial recognition technology has benefited Americans in many ways, such as helping to fight human trafficking, thwart identity thieves and improve passenger facilitation at airports and enhance aviation security. As a representative of companies that provide and leverage facial recognition, SIA believes this advanced technology should be used in a safe, accurate and effective way, and we look forward to working with Congress to help the U.S. set the example on how to ethically and responsibly govern this technology.”

To learn more about how the security industry is pushing back against misconceptions surrounding facial recognition technology, check out the sidebar to this August SecurityInfoWatch.com (SIW) article featuring a Q&A interview with SIA Senior Director of Government Relations Jake Parker or download the SIA document, “Face Facts: Dispelling Common Myths Associated with Facial Recognition Technology.”