New York to pause use of facial recognition in schools upto 2022

New York lawmakers have passed an understanding that they would ban the use of facial recognition in schools until 2022. Their decision comes a month after the New York Civil Liberties Union sued the State Education Department for approving Lockport City School District’s facial recognition system.

The New York Legislature has passed a two-year moratorium on the use of facial recognition in schools. The ban approved by the House and Senate on Wednesday follows an upstate district's adoption of the technology as part of its security plans and a lawsuit from civil rights advocates challenging that move.

The Lockport Central School District activated its system in January after meeting conditions set by state education officials, including that no students be entered into the database of potential threats. Schools have been closed since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of two district parents, is pending.

The bill mandating the moratorium still needs Governor Cuomo’s approval, but once it’s official, the New York education department will also be compelled to study and craft regulation around the technology’s use.

Education Policy Center deputy director Stephanie Coyle issued a statement for the NYCLU, explaining how facial recognition can affect Black and Brown students’ experiences. Facial recognition technologies can still be woefully inaccurate when it comes identifying PoCs and women, leading to mistaken identities and potentially false charges. Putting them in schools with students who are still growing and changing rapidly could therefore be a recipe for disaster.