Microsoft President Calls Washington State’s New Facial Recognition Law ‘a Significant Breakthrough’

Microsoft President Brad Smith took a break from responding to the COVID-19 outbreak this week to praise Washington state’s landmark facial recognition regulations. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill Tuesday that establishes rules specifically governing facial recognition software. From a report: Smith called the law an “early and important model” and “a significant breakthrough” in a blog post published Tuesday. Some cities have enacted their own facial recognition rules, but Washington is the first to establish statewide regulations. “This balanced approach ensures that facial recognition can be used as a tool to protect the public, but only in ways that respect fundamental rights and serve the public interest,” Smith said. The new law requires public agencies to regularly report on their use of facial recognition technology and test the software for fairness and accuracy. Law enforcement agencies must obtain a warrant before using facial recognition software in investigations unless there is an emergency. The bill also establishes a task force to study the use of facial recognition by government agencies. Under the bill, public entities using facial recognition software to make decisions that produce “legal effects” must ensure a human reviews the results. That category includes decisions that could affect a person’s job, financial services, housing, insurance, and education.