Should the government be able to develop and use facial recognition technology for surveillance? According to a majority of Massachusetts voters, the answer is no.
Earlier this year, San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to block the use of facial recognition software by the police and other agencies. Backed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts (ACLU), the city of Somerville recently passed a similar ban.
According to a recent ACLU poll, statewide support for this type of ban locally would presumably be high. Two-thirds of Massachusetts voters express more concern than optimism about the development and use of facial recognition technology.
More specifically:
- 65% of those surveyed had heard about facial recognition technology
- Among those, 60% are more concerned about potential misuses and 35% are more optimistic about potential benefits.
- Nearly 8-in-10 surveyed voters support a moratorium on government use of facial recognition surveillance.
Those surveyed also expressed concern with the lack of laws regulating the use of facial recognition within the state.
Read more about the ACLU poll, including methodology and findings, via the Boston Business Journal, here.
