Speed Read

This Washington County Is The First To Ban Facial Recognition Technology, Official Says (CNN, Jun 02, 2021)
A county in Washington state banned all local government agencies -- including the local sheriff -- from using facial recognition technology. The King County Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to prohibit its administrative offices from using software applications that identify a person from an image of their face. "The use or misuse of these technologies has potentially devastating consequences which the new ordinance will help to prevent," legislation sponsor Jeanne Kohl-Welles said in a statement.
 

Banning Facial Recognition Technology: Baltimore’s Bad Idea (Baltimore Sun, Jun 02, 2021)
Not to be outdone by San Francisco; Portland, Oregon, or several other contenders, Baltimore is now considering the nation’s most restrictive ban on facial recognition technology. Passed on May 27 by the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety and Government Operations, the proposed ordinance would not just prevent city government from acquiring facial recognition technology, but also ban most commercial uses, thereby cutting off city businesses, workers and residents from a wide range of beneficial applications.
 

Congress Struggles to Control Facial Recognition (Eweek, Jun 02, 2021)
Have you ever walked up to someone at a cocktail party (remember those?) you thought you knew, started talking, only to realize that wasn’t who you thought it was? Chances are you have. And that alone illustrates a major challenge to a burgeoning field of artificial intelligence, facial recognition. On one hand, lots of people use facial recognition technology several times a day when they unlock their phones. It’s fast and easy, and it works nearly all of the time. But there are other uses for facial recognition that aren’t nearly as reliable.
 

The Duty to Defend a Privacy Claim Arises from Even Limited Publication of Biometric Identifiers (JD Supra, Jun 02, 2021)
Do general liability policies provide coverage for limited disclosures of biometric data, such as fingerprints? The Illinois Supreme Court has concluded that they do. In a unanimous decision, the Illinois Supreme Court has held that a general liability insurer must defend an insured accused of violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The case arose from a tanning salon’s handling of member fingerprints. According to a class action complaint filed against Krishna Schaumburg Tan, Inc., a franchisee of L.A. Tan, the salon violated BIPA when it saved and then disclosed member fingerprints to an out-of-state third party without a written release required by the Act
 

EU Wants Banks To Adopt Digital Wallet, But It's A Tough Sell (American Banker, Jun 02, 2021)
The European Union's proposed digital wallet could struggle with adoption, despite its improvements to payment security, because it restricts companies from profiting from the project. The EU is expected to announce plans for an electronic wallet that would be available to citizens in its 27 nations. The wallet would store driver's licenses, payment credentials and a single online identity to access public and private services. Consumers will use standardized biometric authentication such as fingerprint and retina scanning, among other methods, to enter a portal to apps from participating banks, payment companies and other enterprises.
 

How To Tame New York’s Surveillance State: Three Must-pass Bills In Albany To Protect Immigrants And All Of Us (NY Daily News, Jun 02, 2021)
As the legislative session comes to a close, the threat of detention and deportation continues for our immigrant neighbors. Legislators have the opportunity to take swift action towards ending the surveillance state that infringes on New Yorkers’ privacy and enables law enforcement abuse as the state recovers from the pandemic and works to reverse decades of racial injustice. By passing legislation to ban rogue DNA databases, ban law enforcement use of biometric surveillance technology and end collaboration between law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), New York can prevent police and ICE from using these tools to criminalize New Yorkers.


Events

Connect:ID 2021, 5-6 October, Washington (IBIA, Jun 02, 2021)
Connect:ID is a world class identity conference and exhibition, showcasing the potential of trusted identity solutions, and highlighting how disruptive technology and policy decisions are driving much needed change. New secure, seamless ID solutions are essential, as authorities seek to provide citizens with better ways to identify themselves, so they can vote, pay, travel, work, interact, and transact without impediment. Join us at connect:ID 2021 to shape the future of global trusted identity. Whether you take part as a sponsor, exhibitor, delegate or visitor, connect:ID will provide countless opportunities to network, learn and do business. Join us and thousands of others to explore the future of identity!

 

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