Port of Seattle permanently bans use of facial recognition at Sea-Tac Airport
Jul 13, 2021, 4:02 PM
(Port of Seattle)
(Port of Seattle)
The Port of Seattle Commission voted Tuesday to enact a first-of-its-kind permanent ban on the use of facial recognition for law enforcement, security, and surveillance purposes.
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The commission’s ban applies to the use of any biometric technology within Port of Seattle facilities, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Officially codifying a moratorium enacted in 2019, this marks the first port authority in the United States to employ restrictions on the use of biometric technology, and “the strongest by any government in state of Washington,” the Port said in a news release.
“Ports can and should take an active role in limiting and shaping the use of facial recognition technology,” Commissioner Sam Cho said. “We hope that other port authorities and governments will consider adopting the Port of Seattle model.”
Exceptions are carved out for so-called “traveler functions,” encompassing ticketing, bag check, and access to airline passenger lounges. Some international passenger screening techniques also can’t be banned under state and federal law, but the Port is requiring that passengers be told biometric screening is voluntary, while the process must meet strict standards for privacy, equity, and transparency.
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This comes as part of a larger push to restrict the use of facial recognition technology in the Puget Sound region, including a controversial ban recently passed in King County. While it only applies to county offices and doesn’t affect private companies, concerns were brought up over whether it could make it more difficult for local law enforcement to locate missing or trafficked children.
That was balanced against criticism of the technology for frequently misidentifying Black or Asian faces, and larger-scale consequences for personal privacy and civil liberties.
