Police Departments Circumvent Facial Recognition Bans by Outsourcing Requests

San Francisco and Austin police found using facial recognition through neighboring departments despite local prohibitions.

San Francisco and Austin police departments have bypassed local facial recognition bans by requesting searches from other cities.
Since 2019, SFPD made at least five facial recognition requests, none resulting in matches.
Austin police made 13 such requests since 2020, with some resulting in arrests.
Officials claim these searches were unauthorized, with no disciplinary actions reported.
Concerns rise over transparency and accountability in law enforcement's use of banned technologies.