This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
On June 25, 2020, the UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, called for a 'moratorium' on the use of facial recognition technology during peaceful protests, emphasizing the need for human rights due diligence before deploying it.
According to a report published by the UN human rights office, facial recognition technology can be used to restrict and infringe on protesters' rights, surveil and track them, and invade their privacy.
The report highlighted the risks of facial recognition technology, particularly in the context of peaceful protests, where it can be used to identify and track protesters, leading to negative consequences.
Facial recognition technology has numerous uses, including unlocking smartphones, but it also has a dark side, with its integration into China's public surveillance system and social credit experiment.
As protests against police violence and racism spread across the United States, tech firms behind the technology faced pressure, with Microsoft and Amazon suspending sales of facial recognition software to police forces and IBM quitting the business.
The UN report warned that the use of facial recognition technology can perpetuate and amplify discrimination, including against Afro-descendants and other minorities, and that protesters have marched in several countries in 2019 and this year on issues including racial discrimination.
