The Washington state legislature has enacted a law that establishes new protections on the use of facial recognition software by state agencies.
Under the new act, law enforcement agencies must obtain a warrant before using facial recognition technology in investigations, except in the event of an emergency. Public agencies that use facial-recognition software to make decisions that produce legal effects must ensure that a human reviews the results. Additionally, public agencies will have to regularly provide reports on their use of facial recognition technology and must test the software for fairness and accuracy.
The bill was approved by both chambers of the state legislature and is subject to Governor Jay Inslee's signature. Washington one of the first states in the U.S. to enact such legislation.
CLICK HERE to read Washington State's new Act on the use of facial recognition services.
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