Currently, the system is only tasked with confirming the identities of volunteer members of the Secret Service. It will scan images taken from the video feeds of existing security cameras in and around the building. Images are kept only when the system detects a match, otherwise they are deleted. When the pilot concludes on Aug. 30, all facial data retained will be deleted unless it is part of an “open law enforcement matter.”
The American Civil Liberties Union, which has previously raised privacy concerns around the use of facial recognition technology by government, questioned where the federal use of the technology will go from here. Its use by the White House could open the door for widespread deployment on more than just a trial basis sooner rather than later.
