National Academies of Sciences Asks Government to Address Facial Recognition Technology Risks

A report by the National Academies of Sciences said that the U.S. federal government needs to catch up with the advances in facial recognition technology by enacting new executive orders, laws and standards.

Jennifer Mnookin, co-chair of the committee behind the report, said the United States has yet to adopt authoritative guidance, regulations or laws that address facial recognition technology.

Sponsored by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, the report also called on the government to address potential harms associated with civil liberties, equity, privacy and surveillance. It also asks the National Institute of Standards and Technology to continue its testing and evaluation efforts on facial technology and create a risk management framework for the technology, Nextgov/FCW reported.

Shonnie Lyon, director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Biometric Identity Management, said many Americans are concerned over facial recognition use, especially when used in surveillance operations. However, he clarified that DHS does not use the technology for such purposes.

Federal agencies have been planning to take advantage of the technology. The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to test the technology in 2024 as an alternative to using personal identity verification cards to sign into the network.