In response to the recent announcement by the Mall of America that it had implemented a facial recognition system, Senator Omar Fateh (DFL-Minneapolis) and Senator Eric Lucero (R-Saint Michael) have expressed their concerns. They argued that the non-consensual capturing, storing, mining, and sharing of biometric facial recognition data is a violation of privacy and poses a threat to millions of Minnesotans and visitors to the state. The senators highlighted the unresolved public policy concerns surrounding privacy rights and facial recognition technologies, such as risks of abuse, data breaches, identity theft, liability, and accountability.
Senator Lucero emphasized the need for input from citizens, civil liberty advocates, data practices advocates, and state and local government officials before moving forward with the implementation of facial recognition technology. He warned of the potential consequences of implementing such technology without addressing these concerns.
Senator Fateh raised the issue of misidentification of people of color by facial recognition technology, as reported by the ACLU. He expressed concerns about the potential for racial profiling, harassment, and false arrests. Additionally, Fateh questioned the storage, distribution, and protection of data collected by the system, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability from the Mall of America.
Both senators called for legislators to consider regulating or banning facial recognition technology and expressed their intention to address these concerns as soon as possible. They urged the Mall of America and its technology vendors to provide explanations to citizens about how
