Legislative Memo: Use of Biometric Surveillance by Law Enforcement

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to prohibiting the use of biometric surveillance technology by law enforcement; establishing the biometric surveillance regulation task force; and providing for the repeal of certain provisions upon expiration thereof

Biometric surveillance technologies, which include face, voice, and gait recognition, rely on flawed and racially-biased systems. The use of these technologies by law enforcement presents a clear danger to all New Yorkers’ civil liberties and threatens to erode our fundamental rights to privacy, protest, and equal treatment under the law.