GAO Releases Report on Privacy, Discrimination Risks of Facial Recognition

The U.S. Government Accountability Office has released a key report about privacy and discrimination risks posed by the commercial use of facial recognition. The GAO completed the report in response to research showing the disparate impact the technology has on minorities, including a National institute of Science and Technology study which found that facial recognition systems misidentify Black women at disproportionately high rates. The GAO report finds that, despite improvements in facial recognition technology, "differences in performance exist for certain demographic groups." The GAO report reiterates the office’s 2013 recommendation urging Congress to update the federal consumer privacy framework to reflect changes in technology. EPIC advocates for a comprehensive federal privacy law and has called for a moratorium on face surveillance.