Microsoft Will Not Sell Facial-Recognition Tech to Police, Joining Amazon and IBM
The company announced Thursday that it would only sell its facial-recognition technology to police departments if there are federal regulations in place.

Jeenah Moon/Getty
Microsoft will not sell its facial-recognition systems to police departments until federal regulation of the service is installed, the tech giant announced Thursday. The company joins Amazon and IBM, which both announced similar decisions earlier in the week in response to worldwide protests against police brutality. Microsoft has not previously sold its facial-recognition technology to police departments. The company has publicly backed proposed California legislation that would allow police to use the technology with restrictions, including disallowing officers from using the technology in body cameras. “We will not sell facial-recognition technology to police departments in the United States until we have a national law in place, grounded in human rights, that will govern this technology,” Microsoft President Brad Smith said.
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