NYPD use facial recognition to identify BLM activists
New York police used employed Clearview AI facial recognition technology to track down Derrick Ingram, a 28-year-old BLM activist, prompting controversy. Accused of shouting into a police officer's ear with a bullhorn during a 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest, NYPD officers traced Ingram to his apartment, outside of which they were seen examining a document titled "Facial Identification Section Informational Lead Report," which contained a photo of Ingram apparently taken from his Instagram account. The NYPD confirmed using facial recognition in the investigation, stating it was used as a "limited investigative tool." However, using a social media photo potentially violated their own policies, which limit the use to surveillance video stills or arrest photos. The incident raised concerns about the NYPD's use of facial recognition technology to target activists and protesters. Critics argue that the use of facial recognition for identifying protesters could have a chilling effect on freedom of assembly and disproportionately affect Black and minority communities. ➕ February 2022. Amnesty research revealed that New Yorkers living in areas at greater risk of stop-and-frisk policing were also more exposed to facial recognition technology. The analysis showed a correlation between higher concentrations of facial recognition-compatible cameras and areas with higher proportions of non-white residents. ➕ August 2022. The N YPD is ordered to hand over documents detailing surveillance of Black Lives Matter protests relat ing to its procurement and use of facial recognition technology during BLM protests from March to September 2020. System 🤖 Clearview AI Operator: New York Police Department (NYPD) Developer: Clearview AI Country: USA Sector: Govt - police Purpose: Identify protestors Technology: Facial recognition; Machine learning Issue: Bias/discrimination; Human/civil rights; Privacy; Surveillance
- Date it happened
- 2020-08-01
- Organisation involved
- New York Police Department (NYPD)
- Product, system or model
- Clearview AI
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