SIA Pushes for Congress to Examine Facts, Benefits of Facial Recognition
A letter issued to Congress urges for the collaboration of all stakeholders to address facial recognition concerns.
The Security Industry Association (SIA), joined by other organizations and trade associations, has issued a letter to Congress outlining its concerns regarding potential blanket bans on public-sector uses of facial recognition technology.
Along with SIA, the coalition includes the Airports Council Int’l – 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.
The letter authors encourage the federal government 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, according to a press release.
In the Oct. 16 letter — 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 Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) — the coalition outlined 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,” states Don Erickson, CEO of SIA. “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.”
Erickson continues, “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.”
As part of its ongoing efforts to address confusion about facial recognition and increase awareness of its beneficial uses, SIA recently produced the resource Face Facts: Dispelling Common Myths Associated With Facial Recognition Technology.
The document explores the facial recognition technology landscape and how the technology works, outlines how government and law enforcement use the technology and addresses confusion and common myths.
Additionally, the resource shares examples of effective use of the technology to help locate missing children, mitigate travel document fraud and improve processes like storefront security and mobile banking.
If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century
This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!
[…] several months earlier, the Security Industry Association (SIA) issued a letter to Congress outlining its concerns regarding blanket bans on public-sector uses of facial recognition […]
[…] several months earlier, the Security Industry Association (SIA) issued a letter to Congress outlining its concerns regarding blanket bans on public-sector uses of facial recognition […]