March 11, 2022
Statement on Proposed Policy on Use of Facial Recognition
Unitarian Universalists are people of faith—a faith that celebrates the inherent worth and dignity of every person and that works for justice and compassion in the world. As Unitarian Universalists, FaithAction New Jersey confronts systemic injustice and seeks to build a New Jersey that is more compassionate, equitable and just.
The Office of the Attorney General is seeking to develop a statewide policy on the use of facial recognition technology with careful consideration of the necessary limitations, constraints and safeguards to implementation. FaithAction applauds this careful and incremental approach, but we also want to clearly express our concern that the risks of misuse and overdependence on this still emerging technology is a matter of great concern. We urge the Attorney General to go slow and to insist on refraining from widespread use of this technology until it is proven to be more reliable.
Our central concern is the potential of differential treatment that most directly impacts communities of color. This is a matter of historical fact. Ours is a society that is far from equitable particularly regarding law enforcement. The assumption that the underlying technology behind facial recognition is objective and free from bias is not only incorrect, but dangerous. There is clear evidence that facial recognition technology is substandard for people of color and for women. In its current form, it practically guarantees injustice in hundreds of investigations. Until the issue of racial bias in facial recognition algorithms is fully addressed, widespread implementation of this technology is unacceptable.
For Unitarian Universalists the threat to vulnerable and already marginalized persons is too great. New Jersey should ban the use of facial recognition for law enforcement until the technology can be demonstrated to be equitable and fair to all New Jerseyans.
Sincerely,
Charles Loflin
Executive Director, UU FaithAction NJ