LANSING — Last week, the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners tabled a vote on the use of facial recognition technology to monitor city neighborhoods. Detroit residents and activists are joining with civil liberty groups across the country in expressing concerns about the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement. Use of this technology has raised a number of issues, including demonstrated misidentification of African-American faces. In response, state Rep. Isaac Robinson (D-Detroit) issued the following statement:
“Independence day is our opportunity to celebrate our rejection of tyranny and injustice. As we approach this Fourth of July, it is very important that we protect the Bill of Rights and prevent government overreach. The proposed use of facial recognition software by DPD is a gross invasion of privacy and researchers have found significant bias and flaws in this type of technology. We cannot sacrifice our freedoms and rights. Implementation of this would be unjust and unacceptable, and I will continue to fight to protect all our community members. As we celebrate our freedom, I am proud to stand with activists and citizens in Detroit against this infringement on our rights. We must defend our Fourth Amendment rights and constitutional protections. These proposals are inherently flawed and part of a dangerous trend of using technology to intrude on our privacy and lives.”