Facial Recognition Technology Leads to Legal Settlement and Prompts Reform in Detroit Police Department

Robert Williams, who was wrongfully accused of shoplifting and had his driver’s license photo misidentified as a possible match for a suspect seen on security video, has reached a settlement with the city of Detroit. As part of the agreement, Detroit has agreed to pay $300,000 to Williams and implement changes to how police use facial recognition technology in solving crimes. The announcement of the agreement was made by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at the University of Michigan law school. They argued that facial recognition technology is flawed and racially biased.

Detroit police will no longer be allowed to make arrests based solely on facial recognition results or photo lineups generated from a facial recognition search. Instead, they will need to gather additional evidence before proceeding with an arrest. Under the settlement, Detroit police must review cases from 2017 to 2023 in which facial recognition technology was used. If an arrest was made without independent evidence, a prosecutor will be notified. An ACLU attorney emphasized the importance of ensuring that individuals are not pressured into pleading guilty based on facial recognition scans and lineup results.

Chief James White had previously announced new policies regarding the use of the technology after a woman who was eight months pregnant was falsely charged with carjacking. The settlement aims to address concerns surrounding the use of facial recognition technology by implementing new protocols and safeguards to prevent wrongful arrests and unjust outcomes. Williams, who is Black, expressed hope for a better world while also voicing his desire for the technology not to be used at all.