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After EPIC-Led Coalition Letter, DC Area Facial Recognition System Will Shut Down

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) informed EPIC today that the National Capital Region Facial Recognition System (NCR-FRILS) will be shut down by July 1, 2021. The system is used by police departments and government agencies in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. EPIC led a coalition that recently sent a letter to the MWCOG demanding an end to the system citing the dangerous nature of facial recognition and racial bias in facial recognition software. A recently passed law in Virginia requiring approval from the General Assembly before using facial recognition was going to curtail NCR-FRILS use in that state. The facial recognition system was first disclosed last year after it was used to identify a protester at a Black Lives Matter rally who was accused of assault.


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