Is facial recognition coming to a traffic stop near you?

From civilian spacecraft to self-driving cars, technology seems to be advancing lightning speeds. While much of this technology is likely to improve your everyday life, other advancements may make you shudder. Facial recognition probably falls into the latter category.

Even though you may love to use facial recognition to unlock your smartphone or laptop, you probably do not want the government to scan your face regularly. In the not-too-distant future, police officers may do just that.

Police departments already have the technology

According to reporting from CNBC, Amazon and Google have sold facial recognition technology to police departments across the country. When doing so, leaders of these corporations asked Congress to pass laws to protect the rights of citizens. Unfortunately, federal legislators have failed to do so. Likewise, there are few federal regulations that control what officers can and cannot do with facial recognition.

Your rights may be in jeopardy

The Bill of Rights provides you with valuable protections against government overreach. These rights include your right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. Sadly, it is not difficult to see how police officers may use facial recognition to infringe on this fundamental right.

For example, officers may use facial recognition to link you to suspected criminal activity. They may also use the technology to surveil you. If there is no legal requirement to obtain a warrant, there may be little or no judicial oversight. That is, officers may be able to violate your rights with impunity.

Ultimately, while there is not much evidence law enforcement agencies in Louisiana are misusing facial recognition currently, the technology may be coming to a traffic stop near you sooner than you expect.