Wyden, Colleagues Demand HUD Review Facial Recognition Technology Use in Federally Assisted Housing

Dec 18, 2019
Press

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Cory Booker, D-N.J., Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Kamala D. Harris, D-Calif., and U.S. Representatives Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., today asked the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to review policies regarding the use of facial recognition technologies in federally assisted housing. 

In a letter to HUD Secretary Ben Carson, the legislators pointed out the threats that facial recognition technology poses to marginalized communities, opening the door to unchecked government surveillance.

Experts have also noted inaccuracies in facial recognition technology that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, specifically women, transgender individuals and people of color.

The legislators continued, “These false and biased judgments can exacerbate the vulnerabilities that marginalized groups already face in life, such as the overcriminalization of people of color and transgender individuals. Potential sharing of this data, particularly with law enforcement, further heightens concerns about the risk this technology poses to vulnerable communities.”

The legislators requested a response from HUD by January 24, 2020.

In July 2018, Wyden and Booker questioned federal law-enforcement agencies on their use of facial recognition technology.

A full copy of today’s letter is available here.

###

Recent Posts


Nov 29, 2023
Press

Tlaib Calls for Peaceful Coexistence Between Israelis and Palestinians

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) released the following statement on H. Res. 888: “Both Israelis and Palestinians have the right to live with democracy, safety, peace, and human dignity. This resolution that ignores the existence of the Palestinian people brings us no closer to peaceful coexistence. It’s important to recognize that Palestinians also have a […]



Nov 29, 2023
Press

Tlaib Calls for Release of All Hostages and Palestinian Political Prisoners

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) released the following statement on H. Res. 793: “Every innocent civilian should be released and reunited with their family, no matter their faith or ethnicity. I will continue to call for the release of all hostages, as well as the innocent Palestinians who were arbitrarily detained and being held by […]



Nov 22, 2023
Press

Tlaib Statement on Temporary Pause in Violence in Gaza

DETROIT — Today, Representative Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) released the following statement: “A temporary pause in the violence is not enough. We must move with urgency to save as many lives as possible and achieve a permanent ceasefire agreement. Over 14,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since this violence began, including thousands of children, and 1.7 million Palestinians […]