Facial Recognition Technology Proof Congress Needs To Strengthen Consumer Privacy Framework, GAO Says; Franken Agrees
Facial recognition has many uses, but the technology is predominantly used in the U.S. to identify characteristics such as age or gender to tailor digital advertising, and federal privacy law should be adapted to reflect new technologies, said a report…
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from the GAO Thursday. Privacy advocacy organizations and government agencies have cited privacy concerns about the commercial use of facial recognition technology, saying if the technology’s use were widespread, companies could identify almost anyone in public and track people’s locations, movements and companions, without an individual’s knowledge or consent, GAO said. How the collected information is used, shared or sold is also a concern, it said. Some stakeholders argue individuals shouldn't expect complete anonymity in public, and privacy losses are offset by benefits the technology offers consumers and businesses, GAO said. No law fully addresses the privacy concerns raised by facial recognition technology, it said. Some laws, like the FTC Act, may apply in certain contexts, but “gaps exist in the consumer privacy framework,” GAO said. Congress should consider strengthening the consumer privacy framework to reflect changes in technology and the marketplace and current privacy framework in commercial settings warrants reconsideration, GAO said. In response to the GAO’s report , Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., who requested the GAO report last year, said in a news release Thursday more action is needed to protect the privacy of American consumers. “Facial recognition tracks you in the real world -- from cameras stationed on street corners and in shopping centers, and through photographs taken by friends and strangers alike,” Franken said. The GAO report “raises serious concerns about how companies are collecting, using, and storing our most sensitive personal information,” he said. “I believe that all Americans have a fundamental right to privacy, which is why it’s important that, at the very least, the tech industry adopts strong, industry-wide standards for facial recognition technology,” Franken said. “But what we really need are federal standards that address facial recognition privacy by enhancing our consumer privacy framework.”