Brookline bans facial recognition
Brookline joined Somerville in banning the municipal use of face surveillance, following a recent Town Meeting vote.
Article 25, a proposed bylaw prohibiting the municipal use of face surveillance, passed overwhelmingly on Dec. 11 - during the fifth night of special Town Meeting - with a vote of 179-8.
Face surveillance is a concern for many people of color and immigrants, petitioner Amy Hummel told Town Meeting. It has also been used as a tool in many authoritarian governments and can lead to warrantless searches and invasions of privacy, she said.
The bylaw prevents Brookline from obtaining or using the technology, or from contracting with a company or individual for that purpose.
“Think of this article as our moratorium,” Hummel said. This puts the brakes on face surveillance and gives the town time to consider the big questions surrounding this technology and its effects on civil liberties, she said.