NEW FACIAL RECOGNITION REPORT

Six federal agencies used facial recognition software to identify protesters who demonstrated in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis Police last year, according to a government watchdog.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report released Tuesday that the agencies used the technology from May through August 2020 to “support criminal investigations related to civil unrest, riots, or protests.”

“All six agencies reported that these searches were on images of individuals suspected of violating the law,” the GAO said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Capitol Police, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Park Police and U.S. Postal Inspection Service reported using the technology.

The use of facial recognition came under scrutiny last year over concerns about how state and local law enforcement was using the technology to identify protestors.

Facial recognition technology has long been criticized for misidentifying women and minorities at a higher rate. In April, a man sued the city of Detroit for being falsely arrested after his driver’s license photo was mistakenly matched to surveillance footage of a shoplifter.