Amazon bans police use of its facial recognition software for a year

A file photo showing Washington County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jeff Talbot demonstrating how his agency used facial recognition software to help solve a crime, at their headquarters in Hillsboro, Oregon. Amazon said it will ban police use of its facial recognition technology for a year in order to give Congress time to come up with ways to regulate the technology. — AP

NEW YORK: Amazon on June 10 banned police use of its face-recognition technology for a year, making it the latest tech giant to step back from law-enforcement use of systems that have faced criticism for incorrectly identifying people with darker skin.

The Seattle-based company did not say why it took action now. Ongoing protests following the death of George Floyd have focused attention on racial injustice in the U.S. and how police use technology to track people. Floyd died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into the handcuffed black man’s neck for several minutes even after Floyd stopped moving and pleading for air.