HAYS COUNTY, TX — The Hays County Sheriff’s Office has taken steps towards potentially implementing facial recognition technology after county commissioners authorized the completion of an order form with Clearview AI, a facial recognition software provider serving law enforcement and government entities.
Approved within the FY 2024 budget, the agenda item permits the acquisition of Clearview AI software licenses, enabling law enforcement access to a facial recognition platform purported to enhance insight and lead generation in investigations.
This purchase spans a three-year period, amounting to $19,485, with an annual fee of $6,495. The initial year's funding is available in the Sheriff’s Office Software Capital general ledger.
Clearview AI claims to possess a database exceeding 40 billion facial images, sourced exclusively from public web domains like news outlets, mugshot repositories, social media, and other open sources. For law enforcement, the platform aims to aid in lead development, allowing agencies to analyze video surveillance images for potential matches, assisting in identifying suspects, persons of interest, and victims to aid criminal investigations.
CEO of Clearview AI emphasized the post-crime investigation utility of AI, outlining its applications in aiding law enforcement investigations concerning drug trafficking, human trafficking, and child abuse. The technology supposedly operates solely with publicly available internet data, necessitating a case number and crime type for usage, along with customer training.
However, concerns loom regarding potential misuses and biases in facial recognition technologies. Dr. Peter Stone and Dr. Samantha Shorey from Good Systems at the University of Texas Austin raised alarm over inherent biases, noting instances of wrongful arrests and misidentification, particularly among people of color. U.S. Senator Ed Markey expressed reservations about Clearview AI's biometric data collection practices, citing threats to privacy rights, civil liberties, especially for marginalized communities.
Stone and Shorey advocated for cautious implementation, urging awareness of technological limitations and the preservation of human judgment in law enforcement practices. They suggested independent oversight to ensure responsible usage and prevent misuse of facial recognition technology, highlighting concerns over consolidated power and lack of democratic control over its management.
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