A bill before the State House would also establish a statewide moratorium on the use of facial recognition technology and other forms of biometric surveillance, including the analysis of a person’s gait or voice, until the legislature regulates the software.
“Cambridge joins a small but growing number of cities who are stepping up to protect residents from intrusive and undemocratic technology,” Cambridge City Councilor Marc McGovern, former mayor of the city, said in a tweet.
Kade Crockford, director of the Technology for Liberty Program at the ACLU of Massachusetts, said in a statement while privacy laws have not kept pace with advancements of digital technology, cities and towns across the state are working to ensure facial recognition technology doesn’t violate people’s basic rights.
“We are particularly grateful for Cambridge’s leadership on this issue, as a technology hub home to many tech workers and companies,” Crockford said. “Now, Beacon Hill must also lead the nation by passing a statewide moratorium on this technology until there are civil liberties protections in place.”
