Privacy

About Face

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Government use of face surveillance technology chills free speech, threatens residents’ privacy, and amplifies historical bias in our criminal system.

From San Francisco, California to Somerville, Massachusetts, communities are coming together to demand an about-face on the proliferation of government use of this especially pernicious form of surveillance and biometric data collection.

Join us in ending government use of face surveillance in our communities.

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March 19, 2024

Use of face surveillance by law enforcement and other government agencies invades Fourth Amendment freedoms of privacy and chills First Amendment freedoms of speech and association.

Face surveillance technology has already been used to target individuals engaged in First Amendment-protected activity. And the threat of this especially pernicious form of surveillance extends far beyond political rallies. Images captured outside houses of worship, medical facilities, schools, community centers, and homes would reveal familial, political, religious, and sexual partnerships.

Data theft is another threat. Digital security professionals regularly warn that it’s not a matter of if a given system will be breached, but when. Government agencies have a notorious history of failing to adequately secure from theft the sensitive personal information and biometric data that government stockpiles. Unlike a driver’s license or social security number, when a breach occurs, our faces can not be reissued.

As community members concerned with our own privacy and safety, as well as that of our families and neighbors, we stand together in committed support of an immediate end to the government’s use of face surveillance.

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Law enforcement's use of face surveillance technology poses a profound threat to personal privacy, political and religious expression, and the fundamental freedom to go about our lives without having our movements and associations covertly monitored and analyzed.

Through the About Face campaign, grassroots, student, and community groups are standing up for their community and saying it's time to change the course. It's time to end government use of face surveillance.

Stand with your neighbors and loved ones, and stand up for us all. Sign the About Face commitment to ending face surveillance.

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EFF is supported by donations from folks like you. We appreciate anything you can give!

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