These wrongly arrested Black men say a new bill would let police misuse face recognition

In 2019 and 2020, three Black men were accused of, and jailed for, crimes they didn’t commit after police used face recognition to falsely identify them. Their wrongful arrest lawsuits are still pending, but their cases bring to light how AI-enabled tools can lead to civil rights violations and lasting consequences for the families of the accused.

Now all three men are speaking out against pending California legislation that would make it illegal for police to use facial recognition technology as the sole reason for a search or arrest. Instead it would require corroborating indicators. The problem, critics say, is that a possible face recognition “match” is not evidence — and that it can lead investigations astray even if police seek corroborating evidence.