Portland’s city council passed its groundbreaking facial recognition ban. City lawmakers stressed the move was not anti-tech but rather anti-racist. Meanwhile, Banned in PDX reveals how the ban has led one convenience store chain with multiple

Biz and Tech Groups Across the Country Fight Portland’s Facial Recognition Ban

Sep 5th, 2020 20m 42s

Amazon spent $24,000 to lobby Portland lawmakers against it. National and local business and tech groups have fought it. One Oregon trade association even asked for an exemption. As Portland City Council nears its vote on what could be the mos

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley Wants a Pause on Controversial Biometrics

Aug 18th, 2020 26m 39s

Jeff Merkley believes that governments, from the city to the state to the national level, should stop the use of biometric technologies. The U.S. senator from Oregon earlier this month added yet another bill to a growing list of legislation he

Tug-of-War over Police Facial Recognition Finds a Raw Moment in Portland

Aug 2nd, 2020 31m 30s

With police tactics under immense scrutiny in Portland, the moment could not be any more ripe - or raw - for a vote on legislation limiting the ability for law enforcement to employ facial recognition in the name of public safety. In this, the