Legislation introduced in Illinois would significantly restrict how law enforcement agencies use biometric technology, including facial recognition and fingerprint matching tools.
House Bill 5521 would prohibit law enforcement from accessing or using biometric identification systems and would also prevent collaboration with federal agencies or third parties to obtain such data.
Critics say the proposal raises serious concerns about public safety and the ability of law enforcement to solve crimes.
These technologies are currently used to generate leads and assist in identifying suspects in criminal investigations. In fact, facial recognition technology was recently used by law enforcement to help identify the suspect in the murder of Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman.
Removing access to these tools could make it more difficult to quickly identify suspects and bring offenders to justice. While privacy concerns should be considered, policies must also ensure law enforcement has the tools necessary to protect communities.
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