TECHNOLOGY NEWS JUNE 24, 2020 / 7:04 AM / UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO

Face recognition vendor vows new rules after wrongful arrest in U.S. using its technology

Paresh Dave
3 MIN READ

OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) - Facial recognition vendor Rank One Computing said on Wednesday it would “add legal means” and research other ways to thwart misuse after its software was involved in the first known wrongful arrest based on the technology in the United States.

Robert Williams, who is Black, spent over a day in Detroit police custody in January after Rank One’s face recognition software connected his driver’s license photo to surveillance video of someone shoplifting, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU) said.

Police have used facial recognition in convictions for over a decade. But activists contend its increasing use requires greater precautions because of possible issues including technological weaknesses in identifying Black people.

In a video shared by the ACLU, Williams says officers released him after acknowledging “the computer” must have been wrong.

Separate guidelines from Michigan State Police, which assisted Detroit authorities, and Rank One say a facial recognition result should not be used as the basis for an arrest. Police lacked corroborating evidence before arresting Williams, Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy said.

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