Jacksons Food Stores sued for violating facial recognition law

Jacksons Food Stores was sued by two people for allegedly violating Portland, Oregon, rules governing the use of facial recognition in places of 'public accommodation'. 

The lawsuit also argued that although Jacksons is using the software to assist in the identification and prosecution of shoplifters, it can wrongly identify people as criminals, and that those errors 'disproportionately affect women and people of color.' 

IN addition, the suit claimed the identity verification process is mandatory, and that customers may not enter the store unless they let the software scan them. 

Reports said Jacksons has been using Blue Line Technology’s First Line software, which takes pictures of people as they approach a Jacksons store and then uses an algorithm to determine whether the face recorded by the camera matches a face on a database held by Jacksons.

Legal, regulatory 👩🏼‍⚖️

• Norby v Jacksons Food Stores (pdf)

• City of Portland (2021). Prohibit the use of Face Recognition Technologies by Private Entities in Places of Public Accommodation in the City (pdf)

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://www.cstoredive.com/news/jacksons-food-stores-lawsuit-facial-recognition-technology/639816/

• https://phys.org/news/2019-07-convenience-surveillance-ai-corner.html

• https://www.geekwire.com/2019/portland-mayor-says-exceptions-can-made-potential-widespread-facial-recognition-ban/

• https://redtailmedia.org/2019/10/19/portland-commissioner-wants-financial-penalty-for-businesses-using-facial-recognition/

• https://redtailmedia.org/2020/01/27/convenience-chain-adds-facial-recognition-at-more-portland-stores/

• https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2020/09/portland-approves-strictest-ban-on-facial-recognition-technology-in-the-us.html

• https://onezero.medium.com/portlands-radical-facial-recognition-proposal-bans-the-tech-from-airbnbs-restaurants-stores-and-32ada95430b6