Senator Omar Fateh (DFL-Minneapolis) and Senator Eric Lucero (R-Saint Michael) have expressed their concerns about the recent implementation of a facial recognition system at the Mall of America. They believe that the non-consensual capturing, storing, mining, and sharing of biometric facial recognition data is a violation of privacy and poses a threat to millions of Minnesotans and visitors to the state.
Senator Lucero emphasized the importance of input from citizens, civil liberty advocates, data practices advocates, and state and local government officials before moving forward with the implementation of facial recognition technology. He warned about the potential consequences of implementing such technology without addressing privacy concerns.
Senator Fateh raised concerns about racial profiling by facial recognition technology, as reported by the ACLU. He questioned how data collected by the system is stored, distributed, and protected and urged for transparency and accountability from the Mall of America.
Both senators called for legislators to consider regulating or banning facial recognition technology altogether. They expressed their intention to address these concerns as soon as possible, including during a special session if called this year. They urged the Mall of America to provide explanations to citizens about how the technology works and why privacy invasion and civil liberties violations are necessary.