Facial Recognition Flawed: Detroit Police to Ban Arrests Based on Algorithmic Misidentification

Detroit police will be prohibited from making arrests based solely on facial recognition results under a settlement reached with Robert Williams, who was wrongly accused of shoplifting in 2018. As part of the agreement, Detroit has agreed to change how it uses facial recognition technology to solve crimes.

Williams expressed his excitement about the new safeguards that will be put in place regarding the use of facial recognition technology. He hopes that these changes will lead to a better world, despite the fact that he would prefer the technology not to be used at all. The lawsuit settlement was announced by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at University of Michigan law school, who argue that the technology is flawed and racially biased.

Under the agreement, Detroit police will be prohibited from arresting people based solely on facial recognition results. Additionally, they won’t make arrests based on photo lineups generated from a facial recognition search. Instead, police will need to conduct further investigation to determine if there is evidence to support the identification made by the technology.

Chief James White of the Detroit police announced new policies about the technology last August, during the ongoing litigation. These policies stated that there must be other evidence, besides facial recognition, for police to believe a suspect had the means, ability, and opportunity to commit a crime. As part of the settlement, Detroit police will review cases from 2017 to 2023 in which facial recognition was used. Prosecutors will be notified if any arrests were made without independent evidence.

According to ACLU attorney Phil Mayor