Facial Recognition Technology and Wrongful Arrests: Case Study and Legal Settlement

Facial Recognition Technology and Wrongful Arrests

In January 2020, a case of mistaken identity led to Robert Williams spending 30 hours in a Detroit jail due to faulty facial recognition technology linking him to a crime he did not commit. As a result, Mr. Williams filed a lawsuit against the authorities.

Recently, a legal settlement was reached, and the Detroit Police Department has agreed to implement new regulations regarding the use of facial recognition technology, setting a standard that could be adopted nationwide. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), representing Mr. Williams, commended the new rules as a step in the right direction.

Mr. Williams expressed his hope that these changes will prevent similar incidents in the future, stating, “We hope that it moves the needle in the right direction.”

While Mr. Williams was the first known case of a wrongful arrest due to flawed facial recognition, he was not the last. Following his ordeal, at least two other individuals in Detroit were mistakenly arrested based on inaccurate facial recognition matches, including a pregnant woman charged with carjacking.

Law enforcement agencies nationwide utilize facial recognition technology to identify suspects captured on camera. In Michigan, the software compares unidentified faces to a database of mug shots and driver’s license photos. In other regions, tools like Clearview AI scour social media and public internet photos for matches.

One significant change in Detroit’s new regulations is that images identified through facial recognition can no longer be presented in photo lineups to eyewitnesses unless additional evidence connects the individual to the crime. Phil Mayor, an ACLU lawyer, emphasized that this settlement transforms the Detroit Police Department from a documented misuser of facial recognition to a pioneer in establishing safeguards for its use.