Eye Spy: How and Why to Ban Facial Recognition Technology

Facial recognition technology is used increasingly around the world to conduct mass, unconsented surveillance. It is an important tool for authoritarian governments, and threatens to make us all more prone to government intrusion into our privacy and our freedom. It is the most recent and one of the most dangerous methods used today to monitor our daily movements and communications, along with drones, automated license plate readers, street corner cameras, cell phone trackers, call interception, and email and Internet spying.

Join us for a public forum on why and how to advocate for limits on the use of facial recognition technology, as San Francisco and Oakland recently have done, sponsored by the Santa Cruz Chapter of the ACLU of Northern California. These issues will be discussed by Santa Cruz City Councilmember Justin Cummings, Lee Hepner, aide to San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin, the sponsor of that City’s ban on facial recognition technology, Matt Cagle, Technology and Civil Liberties attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, and Tracy Rosenberg, Executive Director of Media Alliance in Oakland, followed by questions from the audience. The panel will be moderated by Peter Gelblum, Chair of the Santa Cruz Chapter.