NEWS

NH bill would ban use of facial recognition technology

Paula Tracy, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD — Lawmakers heard a bill on Thursday that would ban the use of facial recognition technology in the state.

It will go to a special subcommittee of the House Executive Departments and Administration Committee for further review.

Many of those who came to the hearing on House Bill 1642 strongly supported banning the use of facial recognition technology, while an official for the industry said doing so would “take a critical law enforcement tool off the table,” in the Granite State.

Drake Jamali of the Security Industry Association said there are tremendous public safety benefits to facial recognition technology, including finding missing children.

“It helps prevent crime from happening,” Jamali said.

Questioned on its accuracy, Jamali said studies show there is only .1% error or failure rate.

But Albert “Buzz” Scherr, a professor at the University of New Hampshire School of Law who has 39 years of experience in the area of privacy law, said the facial recognition technology is currently unreliable.

Scherr said he would be willing to help the subcommittee craft a narrow exception for its use but warned that there are privacy rights to be concerned about.

The bill would prohibit the state or municipalities from obtaining or using any face surveillance system and that such use would be inadmissible in court.