Microsoft on Thursday joined its Big Tech rivals in announcing it would bar law enforcement from using its facial recognition tools in the absence of government regulations.

Microsoft president Brad Smith told a Washington Post event that the company has not sold its technology to police in the United States, and would maintain that policy until there are laws in place “grounded in human rights.”

The comments follow similar moves by Amazon and IBM and come as activists press tech firms to curb deployment of tech tools that may be used to discriminate against minorities.

“We will not sell facial-recognition technology to police departments in the United States until we have a national law in place, grounded in human rights, that will govern this technology,” Smith told the event.

“The bottom line for us is to protect the human rights of people as this technology is deployed.”

Microsoft in 2018 announced it would implement a series of principles before deploying facial recognition technology, including “fairness,” nondiscrimination and lawful surveillance.

The moves by tech firms come amid widespread protests over police brutality and concerns that facial recognition technology is flawed, especially in analyzing features of African-Americans.

Activists also say the technology tools may use algorithms which discriminate, intentionally or not, against blacks.

— AFP

Subscribe
Notify of
2 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

Malaysia to utilise Huawei’s technology “as much as possible”: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, in response to US’s blacklist of tech giant

Malaysia will peruse Chinese technology giant Huawei’s equipment “as much as possible”,…

Europe takes lead over US on crypto regulation

The EU has taken the lead in crypto regulation with the adoption of comprehensive rules, while the United States has cracked down on major crypto exchanges. The EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation aims to combat illegal practices and protect investors, receiving praise for bringing clarity to the industry. In contrast, the US regulatory landscape remains uncertain, prompting some companies to flee to Europe. The US must resolve its regulatory situation quickly to retain its position as the largest market. The industry hopes that American legislators will realize the potential loss of business, jobs, and revenues without proper regulation.

US hits vaccine milestone as New Zealand, Australia open travel bubble

by Tori Otten with AFP bureaus The hard-hit United States has passed…

WHO says has no proof from US on 'speculative' Wuhan lab claims

by Nina Larson The World Health Organization said Monday that Washington had…