LAPD used facial recognition software tied to wrongful arrests

We would like to mention here that we are also against the use of facial recognition software for lawful arrests ;-)

Why we are against the use of such software in principle, we have explained in detail in our campaigns, e.g. at Südkreuz station (false positives, surveillance mania, ...).

Now, a recent LA Times report revealed that the Los Angeles Police Department has used facial recognition software over 30,000 times in the last 11 years, yet repeatedly denies having used such technology. Thanks to the LA Times report, we now know that the largest law enforcement agency in the country has been using facial recognition software for a long time.

The LAPD doesn't have its own face-scanning platform but uses the face-comparison software provided through the Los Angeles County Regional Identification System, a database of about 9 million mugshots, the Times said.

Openthegovernment.org asks the right questions after this insight:

• what other law enforcement agencies could be using this software without our
  knowledge?
• The reality is the full extent of police departments and agencies accessing or using the technology remains unknown.
• Like the LAPD, we don’t know the numerous other agencies that could also be concealing their usage.
• We can’t let it continue to happen.

US newspapers themselves report "problems" with the use of face recognition software. For example, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has made unlawful arrests in connection with the facial recognition software used. Face recognition software is usually developed using images of white men. Studies have shown that facial recognition misidentifies young, older, women and colored people at a much higher rate than middle-aged white men.

However, the goal must not be to train the software more comprehensively, but to leave this nonsense behind. Every single case of a false suspect (false positive) is one too many.

Read more https://www.openthegovernment.org/
and https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-09-21/lapd-controversial-facial-recognition-software
and https://mashable.com/article/lapd-facial-recognition-technology/?europe=true

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