U.S.
Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM Will Temporarily Stop Selling Facial Recognition Technology to Law Enforcement
Published
2 years agoon
By
Lili Stenn
- After increased calls for tech companies to stop selling facial recognition technology to law enforcement, Amazon pledged to stop for one year.
- Microsoft promised to stop until there is federal legislation, and IBM said it will stop entirely.
- Numerous studies have found that facial recognition programs disproportionately misidentify people of color, which could lead to false arrests. Others are concerned police are using the technology to identify and arrest protestors, as they have in the past.
- Facial recognition is entirely unregulated at the federal level, and all three companies pushed for national legislation.
The Problem With Facial Recognition
IBM, Amazon, and Microsoft have all said they will stop selling facial recognition technology to law enforcement— at least temporarily.
Over the last few years, government agencies and law enforcement have significantly increased their use of facial recognition technology, which is almost entirely unregulated, to track down criminals, terrorists, and illegal immigrants.
One 2016 study by the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law that combined FBI data with information about state and local systems found that facial recognition systems used by law enforcement impacts over 117 million American adults, meaning that “one in two American adults is in a law enforcement face recognition network.”
While the use of facial recognition is something that both activists and privacy advocates have criticized for years, the recent protests and calls for changes in policing have placed renewed pressure on tech companies to stop selling these tools to law enforcement agencies.
There are two overarching arguments made by those who oppose the use of facial recognition by law enforcement.
The first is the argument that the law enforcement system is structurally racist, and any policing tool utilized by that system will undoubtedly be used to target Black and brown people— as all policing tools are.
The second argument is that numerous studies have found that the existing facial recognition technology is far more likely to misidentify women and people of color, which means the systems will lead to more wrongful arrests if used by police.
The reason for this fundamental flaw is due to the fact that the data used to build the facial recognition software are often largely made up of pictures of white men, which makes racial bias ingrained in the systems.
For example, one federal report released at the end of last year found that Asian and Black individuals were up to 100 times more likely to be misidentified by facial recognition software than white men.
When it comes to the protests, there are also very serious concerns that facial recognition is being used to identify Black Lives Matter protestors— which is something they have done before.
During the protests over the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old Black man who died in the custody of police in Baltimore in 2015, the Baltimore Police Department used facial recognition technology to identify protestors, try to link them up with their social media profiles, and then target them for arrest.
What Are They Doing Now?
But despite all of that, tech companies continued to sell facial recognition technology to the police and other law enforcement agencies for years, which is why these decisions by some of the three largest tech companies in the world are significant.
IBM was the first to make its announcement last Monday, and also made the most permanent commitment.
“IBM no longer offers general purpose IBM facial recognition or analysis software,” CEO Arvind Krishna wrote in a letter to members of Congress. “IBM firmly opposes and will not condone uses of any technology, including facial recognition technology offered by other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of basic human rights and freedoms.”
Two days later Amazon announced in a statement that it was: “implementing a one-year moratorium on police use of Amazon’s facial recognition technology.”
“We’ve advocated that governments should put in place stronger regulations to govern the ethical use of facial recognition technology, and in recent days, Congress appears ready to take on this challenge,” the statement continued. “We hope this one-year moratorium might give Congress enough time to implement appropriate rules, and we stand ready to help if requested.”
Amazon’s commitment here is especially notable because the company’s facial recognition technology has been arguable the most heavily criticized of the three.
A 2018 test conducted by the ACLU found that Amazon’s software incorrectly matched 28 members of Congress with mugshots of people who had committed crimes. In 2019, one study found that Amazon’s system had more difficulty identifying women and darker-skinned faces than IBM and Microsoft’s technology.
As for Microsoft, their announcement was made by the company’s president, Brad Smith, in an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday.
“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 said, noting that Microsoft has not sold the technology to police departments in the past.
Where the Plans Fall Short
While many have applauded the moves these three companies made, others have noted that there are a lot of places where their plans fall short.
For example, while Microsoft and Amazon have not said if they will stop selling the technology to other government agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Amazon has also faced extra scrutiny over its decision to limit selling their products to the police to just one year, as many have pointed out that it is unlikely we will have comprehensive national legislation by then.
Others have also noted that Amazon has not said what will happen to the police departments its already sold their facial recognition system to, which is significant because, in February, the head of Amazon Web Services said that the company doesn’t know how many police forces had bought their technology.
Even beyond that, numerous activists have called for the technology to be banned at the federal level, full stop. But regardless of a full ban or just more regulation, it is clear that these three companies believe that there needs to be a framework at the national level.
Especially because, as Smith pointed out, smaller companies will likely rush in and fill the space that these big companies are leaving by stepping out of the law-enforcement market— even if just temporarily.
“If all of the responsible companies in the country cede this market to those that are not prepared to take a stand, we won’t necessarily serve the national interest or the lives of the Black and African-American people of this nation well,” he said. “We need Congress to act, not just tech companies alone.”
But whether or not that will happen anytime soon remains unclear. According to reports, right now there are at least a dozen bills in Congress that address facial recognition either directly or indirectly as part of a larger proposal, though most have bee deprioritized.
There have been a number of efforts at the state and local level, but even those are up in the air, and without a holistic, national framework, not a lot can be expected to change.
See what others are saying: (Business Insider) (CNN) (The Washington Post)
U.S.
Conservatives Slam Elmo For Getting Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Published
6 days agoon
June 28, 2022
While critics accused the muppet of promoting propaganda, CDC data shows the shots are safe and effective.
Elmo Gets Vaccinated
Conservative politicians expressed outrage on Twitter after the beloved “Sesame Street” character Elmo revealed he got vaccinated against COVID-19 on Tuesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently cleared the way for children between the ages of six months and five years to get vaccinated against the virus. The famous red muppet is three years old, making him finally eligible for the jab.
In a video shared by “Sesame Street,” Elmo said that he felt “a little pinch, but it was okay.”
Elmo’s father, Louie, then addressed parents who might be apprehensive about vaccinating their own kids.
It's okay to have questions about COVID-19 vaccines for children! Elmo's dad Louie talked to their pediatrician, and learned that Elmo getting vaccinated is the best way to keep him and his whole neighborhood safe and healthy! #CaringForEachOther pic.twitter.com/aWkCfysJPE
— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) June 28, 2022
“I had a lot of questions about Elmo getting the COVID vaccine,” he said to the camera. “Was it safe? Was it the right decision? I talked to our pediatrician so I could make the right choice.”
“I learned that Elmo getting vaccinated is the best way to keep himself, our friends, neighbors, and everyone else healthy and enjoying the things they love,” he continued.
Republicans Criticize “Sesame Street”
While some praised the video for raising awareness and addressing the concerns parents may have, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx) quickly lambasted the effort.
Thanks, @sesamestreet for saying parents are allowed to have questions!
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 28, 2022
You then have @elmo aggressively advocate for vaccinating children UNDER 5.
But you cite ZERO scientific evidence for this. Learn more:https://t.co/Ss20TmFTSB https://t.co/tr67QyfRyC
“Thanks, Sesame Street for saying parents are allowed to have questions,” Cruz tweeted. “You then have Elmo aggressively advocate for vaccinating children UNDER 5. But you cite ZERO scientific evidence for this.”
Despite Cruz’s claim, the CDC has provided ample resources with information on vaccines for children.
He was not alone in criticizing the video. Harmeet Dhillon, a committeewoman of the Republican National Committee for California, suggested that Elmo would be taking puberty blockers next.
Next episode: Elmo takes puberty blockers! Yay! https://t.co/A4em0ZlC8d
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) June 28, 2022
Other anti-vaxxers claimed Elmo would get myocarditis and accused “Sesame Street” of promoting propaganda.
M is for Myocarditis. https://t.co/2yGWljhv1L
— Lisa Boothe 🇺🇸 (@LisaMarieBoothe) June 28, 2022
They have Elmo pushing experimental emergency authorized mRNA drugs on infants and toddlers for a virus that is not remotely a material threat to them. Absolute monsters. https://t.co/P3hFsamSpJ
— Jason D. Meister 🇺🇸 (@jason_meister) June 28, 2022
COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be both safe and effective against transmission of the virus, but this is not the first time conservatives have turned their anger against a friendly-looking muppet who opted to get the jab. When Big Bird got vaccinated in November, Cruz and other right-wing figures accused the show of brainwashing kids.
Big Bird’s choice to get vaccinated was not a shocker though, clips dating back to 1972 show him getting immunized against the measles.
See what others are saying: (CNN) (The Hill) (Market Watch)
U.S.
Uvalde Puts Police Chief on Leave, Tries to Kick Him Off City Council
Published
2 weeks agoon
June 23, 2022By
Chris Tolve
If Pete Arredondo fails to attend two more consecutive city council meetings, then he may be voted out of office.
Police Chief Faces Public Fury
Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo was placed on administrative leave Wednesday following revelations that he and his officers did not engage the shooter at Robb Elementary for over an hour despite having adequate weaponry and protection.
Superintendent Hal Harrell, who made the announcement, did not specify whether the leave is paid or unpaid.
Harrell said in a statement that the school district would have waited for an investigation to conclude before making any personnel decisions, but chose to order the administrative leave because it is uncertain how long the investigation will take.
Lieutenant Mike Hernandez, the second in command at the police department, will assume Arredondo’s duties.
In an interview with The Texas Tribune earlier this month, Arredondo said he did not consider himself in charge during the shooting, but law enforcement records reviewed by the outlet indicate that he gave orders at the scene.
Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw told state senators on Tuesday that some officers wanted to enter the classrooms harboring the shooter but were stopped by their superiors.
He said officer Ruben Ruiz tried to move forward into the hallway after receiving a call from his wife Eva Mireles, a teacher inside one of the classrooms, telling him she had been shot and was bleeding to death.
Ruiz was detained, had his gun taken away, and was escorted off the scene, according to McCraw. Mireles later died of her wounds.
Calls for Arredondo to resign or be fired have persisted.
Emotions Erupt at City Council
Wednesday’s announcement came one day after the Uvalde City Council held a special meeting in which community members and relatives of victims voiced their anger and demanded accountability.
“Who are you protecting?” Asked Jasmine Cazares, sister of Jackie Cazares, a nine-year-old student who was shot. “Not my sister. The parents? No. You’re too busy putting them in handcuffs.”
Much of the anger was directed toward Arredondo, who was not present at the meeting but was elected to the city council on May 7, just over two weeks before the massacre.
“We are having to beg ya’ll to do something to get this man out of our faces,” said the grandmother of Amerie Jo Garza, a 10-year-old victim. “We can’t see that gunman. That gunman got off easy. We can’t take our frustrations out on that gunman. He’s dead. He’s gone. … Ya’ll need to put yourselves in our shoes, and don’t say that none of ya’ll have, because I guarantee you if any of ya’ll were in our shoes, ya’ll would have been pulling every string that ya’ll have to get this man off the council.”
One woman demanded the council refuse to grant Arredondo the leave of absence he had requested, pointing out that if he fails to attend three consecutive meetings the council can vote him out for abandoning his office.
“What you can do right now is not give him, if he requests it, a leave of absence,” she said. “Don’t give him an out. We don’t want him. We want him out.”
After hearing from the residents, the council voted unanimously not to approve the leave of absence.
On Tuesday, Uvalde’s mayor announced that Robb Elementary is set to be demolished, saying no students or teachers should have to return to it after what happened.
We make it a point to not include the names and pictures of those who may have been seeking attention or infamy and will not link out to websites that might contain such information.
U.S.
Texas Public Safety Director Says Police Response to Uvalde Shooting Was An “Abject Failure”
Published
2 weeks agoon
June 21, 2022By
Chris Tolve
New footage shows officers prepared to engage the shooter one hour before they entered the classroom.
Seventy-Seven Deadly Minutes
Nearly a month after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 children and two teachers, evidence has emerged indicating that police were prepared to engage the shooter within minutes of arriving, but chose to wait over an hour.
The shooting at Robb Elementary began at 11:33 a.m., and within three minutes 11 officers are believed to have entered the school, according to surveillance and body camera footage obtained by KVUE and the Austin American Statesman.
District Police Chief Pete Arredondo reportedly called a landline at the police department at 11:40 a.m. for help.
“It’s an emergency right now,” he said. “We have him in the room. He’s got an AR-15. He’s shot a lot… They need to be outside the building prepared because we don’t have firepower right now. It’s all pistols.”
At 11:52 a.m., however, the footage shows multiple officers inside the school armed with at least two rifles and one ballistic shield.
Law enforcement did not enter the adjoined classrooms to engage the shooter until almost an hour later, at 12:50 p.m. During that time, one officer’s daughter was inside the classrooms and another’s wife, a teacher, reportedly called him to say she was bleeding to death.
Thirty minutes before law enforcement entered the classrooms, the footage shows officers had four ballistic shields in the hallway.
Frustrated Cops Want to Go Inside
Some of the officers felt agitated because they were not allowed to enter the classrooms.
One special agent at the Texas Department of Public Safety arrived about 20 minutes after the shooting started, then immediately asked, “Are there still kids in the classrooms?”
“It is unknown at this time,” another officer replied.
“Ya’ll don’t know if there’s kids in there?” The agent shot back. “If there’s kids in there we need to go in there.”
“Whoever is in charge will determine that,” the other officer responded.
According to an earlier account by Arredondo, he and the other officers tried to open the doors to the classrooms, but found them both locked and waited for a master key to arrive. But surveillance footage suggests that they never tried to open the doors, which a top Texas official has confirmed were never actually locked.
One officer has told reporters that within minutes of the police response, there was a Halligan bar, which firefighters use to break down locked doors, on-site, but it was never used.
At a special State Senate committee hearing Monday, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw called the police response an “abject failure” and “antithetical to everything we’ve learned over the last two decades since the Columbine massacre.”
“The only thing stopping a hallway of dedicated officers from (entering rooms) 111 and 112 was the on-scene commander who decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children,” he said. “The officers have weapons, the children had none.”
We make it a point to not include the names and pictures of those who may have been seeking attention or infamy and will not link out to websites that might contain such information.

Sen. Smith Leads Effort to “Protect Access to Abortion Care Where it is Still Legal”

Chris Pratt Denies Association With Hillsong Church: “I’ve Never Actually Been”

Mental Health Startup Cerebral May Have Harmed Hundreds of Patients, Leaked Documents Reveal

Conservatives Slam Elmo For Getting Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Israel Relaxes Abortion Restrictions in Response to U.S. Supreme Court Ruling

Supreme Court Rules High School Football Coach Can Pray on Field

Jodie Sweetin Releases Statement After Getting Pushed By Officers at Pro-Choice Protest: “This Will Not Deter Us”

Uvalde Puts Police Chief on Leave, Tries to Kick Him Off City Council

Instagram Testing New Tools To Verify Users Are Over 18

Rep. Schiff Urges DOJ to Investigate Trump for Election Crimes: “There’s Enough Evidence”

Dave Chappelle Decides Against Having Former High School’s Theater Named After Him

Mia Khalifa Shuts Down Death Rumors, Sparks Conversations About Plastic Surgery and Adult Film Industry

Ace Family’s Austin McBroom and Team Accused of Rape

YouTuber MrBeast Responds to Criticism of Massive Tree Planting Project

Netflix Apologizes and Changes Marketing Materials for “Cuties” After Backlash

Joe Rogan Denies Spotify Censorship Rumors, According to Alex Jones

Dixie D’Amelio Responds to Rumors That She Faked Seizures to Get Out of Class

Conservatives Slam Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion Over “WAP” Lyrics

The Onision Controversy Explained

Influencer Coconut Kitty Accused of Editing Nude and Suggestive Photos To Make Herself Look Underage

Tweet Falsely Claims Bob Saget Was Accused of Abuse by Corey Feldman

Ariana Grande Look-Alike Responds After Singer Suggests Her TikTok Impersonations Are “Degrading”

Coward Ethan Klein Threatens Me, But I’m Not Backing Down Because I’m a Strong Boy, Amouranth & More

He Definitely Hunts People On a Private Island… Will Smith, Jeffree Star, Barry Loudermilk, & More

The Truth About Justin Bieber’s Facial Paralysis, Ryan Trahan $.01, Jan. 6 Hearings, & More

“ITS FAKE!” Conspiracy Theories Fly After Mass Arrest, Joe Rogan, John Cena, Google AI, Chris Murphy

Why The Internet is Pissed & Saying This is A Sad Day for Youtube. The Act Man v Youtube Explained

The MrBeast Scam Problem YouTube Can’t Fix, Epic Jet Ski Chase Caught on Video, & Gary…Oh Gary

GUESS WHO GOT CANCELLED! Washington Post Meltdown, Arizona Cops Watch Man Drown, Dave Chappelle, &

The Truth About Disney & Their Apology, Boris Johnson, Katie Porter Speaks Out, & More

Amber Heard Defenders Point Fingers At The Jury, Harry Styles, Michael Avenatti, Bailey Sarian, &

Johnny Depp Wins Defamation Case! Amber Heard Ordered to Pay Him $10 Million! Verdict, Reactions, &

WHO LEAKED IT?! Bo Burnham, Joe Rogan, Austin Fights Back, New Gun Ban, & More News

Columnist Apologizes Over Article Seemingly Intended to Out Rebel Wilson: “I Have Learnt Some New and Difficult Lessons”

Arizona Cops Watch as Homeless Man Drowns in Lake, Pleads for Help

Rep. Katie Porter Accuses GOP of Trying to “Weaponize” Gas Prices to “Win the Election”

Lizzo Changes Lyrics To Song After Backlash Over Ableist Word

Ohio Governor Signs Bill Allowing Teachers to Carry Guns With 24 Hours of Training

Texas Public Safety Director Says Police Response to Uvalde Shooting Was An “Abject Failure”

Ryanair Draws Outrage, Accusations of Racism After Making South Africans Take Test in Afrikaans

Mental Health Startup Cerebral May Have Harmed Hundreds of Patients, Leaked Documents Reveal

Chris Evans Says People Upset With Same-Gender “Lightyear” Kiss Are “Idiots”

Family Of Author Whose Article Inspired “Top Gun” Hits Paramount With Copyright Lawsuit

Key Takeaways from the Second Jan. 6 Committee Hearing

Sen. Smith Leads Effort to “Protect Access to Abortion Care Where it is Still Legal”

Chris Pratt Denies Association With Hillsong Church: “I’ve Never Actually Been”

Mental Health Startup Cerebral May Have Harmed Hundreds of Patients, Leaked Documents Reveal

Conservatives Slam Elmo For Getting Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Israel Relaxes Abortion Restrictions in Response to U.S. Supreme Court Ruling

Supreme Court Rules High School Football Coach Can Pray on Field

Jodie Sweetin Releases Statement After Getting Pushed By Officers at Pro-Choice Protest: “This Will Not Deter Us”

Uvalde Puts Police Chief on Leave, Tries to Kick Him Off City Council

Instagram Testing New Tools To Verify Users Are Over 18

Rep. Schiff Urges DOJ to Investigate Trump for Election Crimes: “There’s Enough Evidence”

Dave Chappelle Decides Against Having Former High School’s Theater Named After Him

Coward Ethan Klein Threatens Me, But I’m Not Backing Down Because I’m a Strong Boy, Amouranth & More

He Definitely Hunts People On a Private Island… Will Smith, Jeffree Star, Barry Loudermilk, & More

The Truth About Justin Bieber’s Facial Paralysis, Ryan Trahan $.01, Jan. 6 Hearings, & More

“ITS FAKE!” Conspiracy Theories Fly After Mass Arrest, Joe Rogan, John Cena, Google AI, Chris Murphy

Why The Internet is Pissed & Saying This is A Sad Day for Youtube. The Act Man v Youtube Explained

The MrBeast Scam Problem YouTube Can’t Fix, Epic Jet Ski Chase Caught on Video, & Gary…Oh Gary

GUESS WHO GOT CANCELLED! Washington Post Meltdown, Arizona Cops Watch Man Drown, Dave Chappelle, &

The Truth About Disney & Their Apology, Boris Johnson, Katie Porter Speaks Out, & More

Amber Heard Defenders Point Fingers At The Jury, Harry Styles, Michael Avenatti, Bailey Sarian, &

Johnny Depp Wins Defamation Case! Amber Heard Ordered to Pay Him $10 Million! Verdict, Reactions, &
