Portland Passes a Sweeping Ban on Facial Recognition Tech

Portland, Oregon has become the first city to declare private use of facial recognition tech unlawful. The city's legislators have unanimously voted to pass a sweeping new law that bans both the private and public use of facial recognition. While other cities such as Oakland, San Francisco, and Boston have already prohibited government agencies from employing facial surveillance technology, Portland is the first that has outlawed its private use. "Portlanders should never be in fear of having their right of privacy be exploited by either their government or by a private institution," said Mayor Ted Wheeler (via OneZero) during the hearing. "All Portlanders and frankly all people are entitled to a city government that will not use technology with a demonstrated racial and gender bias which endangers personal privacy."