Comment by Security Industry Association

Facial recognition technology makes our country safer and brings value to our everyday lives when used effectively and responsibly. The Security Industry Association (SIA) believes all technology products, including facial recognition technology, must only be used for purposes that are lawful, ethical, and nondiscriminatory. [...] PREVENTING ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES UNDER FALSE IDENTITIES.--After just 3 days of operation, facial recognition technology at Dulles International Airport in Virginia caught a man trying to use a fake passport to enter the United States. The fraudulent passport would have easily gone undetected with visual inspection alone. The ability to enter under a false identity is essential to organized crime, human trafficking, money laundering, drug smuggling, terrorism, and many other criminal activities. [...] A blanket ban on Government use precludes all possible current and future applications of the technology, regardless of the purpose, putting the safety of every resident at risk. Beyond law enforcement, such a ban prohibits other proven uses like secured employee access to critical infrastructure and other systems that protect building occupants and software that detects fraud against Government programs, to name a few. [...] Before taking such an extreme step, policy makers must thoroughly examine how the technology is used and consider all the options available to address concerns.