The San Francisco proposal would ban the use of facial recognition from the government in the city

A lawmaker in San Francisco is tabling today a bill that would make the city the first in the country to ban the government from using facial recognition technology.

The Stop Secret Oversight Ordinance, which should be proposed by Supervisor Aaron Peskin, would require city departments to seek the approval of the supervisory board before using or acquiring surveillance technology, a verification already in place. implemented by other cities. The legislation would also create annual audits of the monitoring technology to ensure that the tools are used properly.

If approved, the ordinance would also create a blanket prohibition preventing those departments from buying or using facial recognition technology. The legislation, which would also apply to the forces of order, would represent a new stage in the battle for the powerful tool.

The proposal comes at a shaky moment for facial recognition technology. Despite documented problems of error and bias, federal regulation of technology has been difficult to achieve. Microsoft has called for legislation to guide its use, and various experts have suggested what this regulation might look like. These proposals provide for a total ban as well as a lighter regulation to limit potential abuse.

The law will be heard by the committee next month and civil rights groups, including the ACLU of Northern California, have lent their support.