Rights Groups call for global ban on biometric recognition technologies

A group of digital rights organisations working globally have called for ‘an outright ban on uses of facial recognition and remote biometric recognition technologies that enable mass surveillance and discriminatory targeted surveillance.’ The group cites examples where facial and remote recognition technology was used to enable human rights abuses ranging from silencing of dissent to extra-judicial killings. They note how use of the technologies to single out people, classify people and put them in databases, undermines their freedom. In an open letter, they call upon public agencies to cease investing in recognition technologies.