Shareholders ask Amazon to halt sales of facial recognition tech

A group of Amazon shareholders has filed a resolution requesting the company stop selling its facial recognition technology to government agencies until a review can determine whether it has the potential to violate civil rights. Organized by the non-profit Open MIC and filed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, the resolution is supported by a total of five shareholder groups that hold $1.32 billion of Amazon shares. In the resolution, the shareholders express concern over current use of the technology -- called Rekognition -- and they cite statements made by Amazon in the past opposing government-conducted surveillance. They also say they have "little evidence" that Amazon is "effectively restricting the use of Rekognition to protect privacy and civil rights."