Our Work
Founded in 2014, the Center on Privacy & Technology is a leader at the intersection of privacy, surveillance, and civil rights.
Latest Work
Document Journal: Your Face is Already in a Criminal Lineup
Senior Associate discussed the risks of police face recognition use in a long-form Q&A with Document Journal.
The Perpetual Line-Up Recognized
The Perpetual Line-Up, the Center's foundational face recognition report, was recognized by the inaugural Tech Spotlight at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center, highlighting initiatives that orient technology to a public purpose and ensure its safety, fairness, and inclusivity.
70 Million Podcast: Face Recognition and Detroit
Senior Associate Clare Garvie was interviewed for the 70 Million podcast about police use of face recognition in Detroit and ongoing efforts of community members to put a stop to it.
Coalition Letter Urging FTC to Study Data, Bias, and Disparate Impact
Associate Director Laura Moy organized a coalition letter urging the FTC to include questions on data, bias, and disparate impact in any new studies the agency undertakes. The letter was signed by 27 civil rights, digital rights, racial justice organizations, and consumer groups.
“New Paper: Legislative Approaches to Face Recognition in the United States” blog
Associate Jameson Spivack published a blog detailing the highlights of a paper he and Senior Associate Clare Garvie had recently co-authored: "A Taxonomy of Legislative Approaches to Face Recognition in the United States." Read the whole blog here.
GAO: CBP Should Address Privacy and System Performance Issues
The Government Accountability Office issued a report finding that airport face scans did not improve airport agents' day-to-day capabilities. The Center's December 2017 report, Not Ready for Takeoff, found that airport face scans were unjustified.
Report: Legislative Approaches to Face Recognition Around the Country
Policy Associate Jameson Spivack and Senior Associate Clare Garvie’s paper analyzing how lawmakers around the US are trying to regulate face recognition was published in the AI Now Institute’s biometric technologies report.
Town Hall: The Dangers of Face Recognition and How to Respond
Senior Associate Clare Garvie participated in a town hall on face recognition hosted by the Project on Government Oversight with Malkia Cyril of the Center for Media Justice, Matt Cagle of ACLU NorCal, POGO's Jake Laperruque, Rep. Jimmy Gomez, and Sen. Jeff Merkley.
Podcast: Banned In PDX, Tracking Portland’s Face Recognition Ban (Apple Podcast)
In an episode of the podcast series Banned in PDX, Policy Associate Jameson Spivack discusses police use of face recognition on protesters, with a focus on Portland, OR.
Op-Ed: Law Enforcement Could Leverage Facial Recognition During Protests
Policy Associate Jameson Spivack wrote an op-ed for Route Fifty about the lack of police face recognition regulation, how this allows police to surveil protesters, and the potential consequences for civil rights and liberties.