Maine law restricts facial recognition technology statewide

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A bill touted because the country’s strictest statewide law on the usage of facial recognition technology has change into law in Maine.

While loads of states regulate facial recognition as a surveillance tool, the Maine law represents a perfect prohibition of the technology on the bellow, county and municipal executive ranges, with little exceptions for law enforcement capabilities, officials stated.

The ACLU of Maine stated it’s the strongest statewide facial recognition law within the country, and the bill’s sponsor, Win. Grayson Lookner, known because it “a perfect victory for privacy rights and civil liberties in Maine.”

“I hope that Maine can provide an example to varied states that desire to rein within the executive’s ability to make consume of facial recognition and varied invasive biometric technologies,” stated Lookner, D-Portland.

The bill become law with out the governor’s signature.

Beneath the law, police would maybe well also question a facial recognition search from the FBI and Bureau of Motor Autos databases if they’ve doubtless put off to believe an unidentified person in a image has committed a serious crime. These requests shall be tracked.

The bill also clarifies that a facial recognition match doesn’t portray doubtless put off to invent an arrest. Contributors also would maybe well also sue if they suspect a pair of executive agency or respectable has violated the law.

Diversified states have bans on explicit uses, savor in colleges or on college campuses.

Washington bellow enacted statewide regulations earlier this year that consideration on facial recognition for ongoing surveillance, chronic tracking and valid-time identification, stated Jennifer Lee from the ACLU of Washington. However it lacks tooth and doesn’t prevent public surveillance, she stated.

The ACLU is a main opponent of facial recognition technology, citing learn that have found higher error rates for facial recognition instrument aged to establish of us of coloration, females, adolescents and the elderly.