Res. No. 1434
Resolution calling on the United States Congress to pass, and the President to sign, S.2689, sponsored by Senator Cory Booker, which would prohibit the use of biometric recognition technology and biometric analytics in certain federally assisted rental dwelling units, and for other purposes.
By Council Member Gibson
Whereas, Commercially released facial recognition programs in the United States (U.S.) are heavily biased, with a federal report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) finding that facial recognition systems used by law enforcement and other government agencies had more difficulty identifying women, older adults, and racial minorities; and
Whereas, Facial recognition technology has been used without consent and for authoritarian purposes, with recent examples including China’s surveillance of its Uighur population, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s analysis of drivers’ licenses in search of undocumented immigrants, and the New York City Police Department’s use of celebrity and partial photographs to manufacture facial recognition matches; and
Whereas, Facial recognition technology is highly unregulated and problematic, as facial recognition systems in use today are developed and sold by private companies and amplify and reflect both present-day and historical discrimination, with few measures in place to protect against biased and oppressive uses of facial recognition technology; and
Whereas, Facial recognition technology biases hold negative implications for accessibility to fair and affordable housing, with potential consequences including denial of building access, unjust arrest for trespassing, and strained relations between resident, landlord and law enforcement populations; and
Whereas, Facial recognition technology biases can also lead to problems with law enforcement, as errors can result in false accusations, arrests, and watch list placements, which may require lengthy, expensive ordeals to correct; and
Whereas, The New York Times reported on about the case of Robert Julian-Borchak Williams, a black man in Michigan who was misidentified by facial recognition technology employed by the Detroit Police Department and wrongfully arrested and subjected to a lengthy and expensive judicial process for both his trial and subsequent effort to have his data expunged from the local judicial system; and
Whereas, This New York Times report revealed how facial recognition technology can compound biases from both the facial recognition system and human workers, highlighting the potential for the negative consequences of facial recognition technology; and
Whereas, S.2689, referred to as the “No Biometric Barriers to Housing Act of 2019,” sponsored by Senator Cory Booker, would bar the use of surveillance technology such as facial recognition in federally-funded public and assisted housing and also require the Department of Housing and Urban Development to send a detailed report on how they are using biometric identification and surveillance technologies to Congress; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the United States Congress to pass, and the President to sign, S.2689, sponsored by Senator Cory Booker, which would prohibit the use of biometric recognition technology and biometric analytics in certain federally assisted rental dwelling units, and for other purposes.
CCK
LS # 13828
09/11/2020