Portland, Oregon Becomes First Jurisdiction in U.S. to Ban the Commercial Use of Facial Recognition Technology
On September 9, 2020, Portland, Oregon became the first jurisdiction in the country to ban the commercial use of facial recognition technology in public places within the city, including stores, restaurants and hotels.
The city Ordinance was unanimously passed by the Portland City Council and will take effect on January 1, 2021. Beginning January 1, 2021, “private entities” will be prohibited from using “face recognition technologies” in “places of public accommodation” within Portland, except (1) to the extent necessary to comply with federal, state or local laws; (2) for user verification purposes to access the user’s own personal or employer-issued communication and electronic devices; or (3) in automatic face detection services in social media applications.
