Microsoft joins Amazon, IBM to pause face scans for police, but they’re small players

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Microsoft is just about the third big tech company this week to say this won’t sell its face recognition application to police, following equivalent movements by Amazon and IBM.

Microsoft’s president and chief counsel, Brad Smith, announced your choice and called in Congress to modify the technology throughout a Washington Post video function on Thursday.

“We’ve decided we will not sell facial reputation technology to law enforcement departments in the United States until we've a national law in place, grounded in human legal rights, that may govern this technology,” Smith said.

The trio of tech giants is stepping back from law-enforcement make use of systems which may have faced criticism for incorrectly identifying persons with darker skin. Ongoing protests following a death of George Floyd possess focused focus on racial injustice in the U.S. and how police use technology to track people.

But while almost all three companies are recognized for their work in growing artificial intelligence, including encounter recognition software program, none is a significant player in advertising such technology to police. Smith explained Thursday that Microsoft presently doesn’t sell its face recognition program to any U.S. law enforcement departments. He didn’t say if that includes federal police agencies or police forces beyond your U.S.

Other companies that are fewer well known dominate the market for government facial recognition contracts on the U.S., incorporating Tokyo-established NEC and the European firms Idemia and Gemalto.

Microsoft, Amazon and IBM will be calling on Congress to create national rules above how police employ facial recognition _ something that’s now being regarded as part of a police reform package sparked by the protests pursuing Floyd’s death.

“If all of the responsible companies in the united states cede the forex market to those that aren't prepared to take a stand, we won’t necessarily serve the nationwide interest or the lives of the black and African American people of the nation well,” Smith said. “We need Congress to action, not only tech companies alone.”
Source: https://www.deccanchronicle.com

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