1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support federal legislation banning facial recognition technology nationwide. The evidence shows urgent reasons for federal action: Accuracy Problems: Research indicates facial recognition identifies the wrong person up to 98% of the time, causing real-world harms including false arrests, wrongful imprisonment, and deportation. Georgetown University's Center on Privacy and Technology concludes the technology "doesn't work well enough to reliably serve" law enforcement's own purposes. Disproportionate Impact: This technology fuels existing discrimination against communities of color and marginalized groups, who already face over-policing and systemic inequities. Security Vulnerabilities: Stored biometric data presents an attractive target for identity thieves and state-sponsored hackers, with successful attacks already documented. Civil Liberties Threat: Regardless of technical performance, pervasive population monitoring fundamentally undermines basic freedom and creates a surveillance infrastructure incompatible with democratic values. While proponents argue facial recognition aids crime prevention, the evidence demonstrates it actually endangers innocent people while failing to deliver promised security benefits. Over 40 major music festivals have voluntarily abandoned the technology, showing viable alternatives exist. Federal regulation is necessary to establish consistent protections across all states. I respectfully urge you to champion legislation prohibiting facial recognition deployment. Thank you for your time and attention to this critical civil liberties issue.