a California Senate committee passed a bill that would make a temporary ban on police use of facial recognition and biometric scanners with police officer cameras permanent.
Under the proposed law, New Jersey government agencies, including law enforcement, would be barred from acquiring, possessing, accessing, or using any biometric surveillance system, along with any information derived from a biometric surveillance system operated by another entity, unless specific conditions are met. Biometric surveillance includes facial recognition and any technology that assists in identifying a person based on the characteristics of their gait, voice, or other immutable characteristics.
The legislation would ban any state or local government agency from obtaining, retaining, requesting, accessing or using facial recognition technology or information obtained using such technology without a court-approved warrant.
The proposed law would limit the use of facial recognition to “crimes of violence,” human trafficking, or a criminal act “involving circumstances presenting a substantial and ongoing threat to public safety or national security.” When used in such an investigation, facial recognition could not be used as the sole basis to establish probable cause.
The legislation would repeal provisions in Alaska law that implement the Real ID Act. The proposed law would also create an option for Alaska residents to get a driver's license with a photo with a resolution that is not suitable for facial recognition.