Amazon has put its weight behind the growing number of calls from companies, individuals, and rights groups to establish facial recognition standards.
Michael Punke, VP of Global Public Policy at Amazon Web Services, said.
“Over the past several months, we’ve talked to customers, researchers, academics, policymakers, and others to understand how to best balance the benefits of facial recognition with the potential risks.
It’s critical that any legislation protect civil rights while also allowing for continued innovation and practical application of the technology.”
In a blog post today, Amazon highlighted five guidelines to ensure facial recognition is developed and used ethically.
The first of the five calls for facial recognition to follow existing laws which protect civil liberties. To ensure accountability, the second guideline wants all facial recognition to be reviewed by humans before any decision is taken.
Other guidelines include a call for transparancy in how agencies are using facial recognition technology, and visual notices placed where it’s being used in public or commercial settings.
The company has faced criticism of its ‘Rekognition’ system which is used by police forces and has been pitched to agencies such as US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In a letter addressed to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, employees wrote:
“We refuse to build the platform that powers ICE, and we refuse to contribute to tools that violate human rights.
As ethically concerned Amazonians, we demand a choice in what we build and a say in how it is used.”
