Massachusetts

Worcester Bans City Use of Facial Recognition Technology

Boston, Somerville and Springfield are among the Mass. cities that have already banned the technology

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The city of Worcester has become the latest Massachusetts city to prohibit the use of facial recognition technology by city government.

The Worcester City Council voted Tuesday night to prohibit city departments from acquiring or using the technology. Critics say facial recognition systems have the potential to violate personal privacy and are more likely to err when identifying people with darker skin.

A growing number of cities and towns across the country are considering similar restrictions. In Massachusetts, Boston, Somerville and Springfield are among the cities that have already banned the technology.

Several states are also looking at bans.

San Francisco supervisors this week passed legislation that would ban the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement agencies and other city departments. Mark Matthews reports.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
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