Facial Recognition Technology? Not in Maine.

A growing number of states are requiring people to submit to facial recognition technology to get their unemployment benefits. Actually, more than half of states have signed contracts for the identity verification process, and most of them are already using the technology.

But not Maine.  Actually, at the end of June, our state passed a law against using the technology. And we are the first state in the country to have such a law.

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The ACLU of Maine said

 “It’s the strongest statewide facial recognition regulation in the country”

The bill’s sponsor Rep Grayson Lookner called it

 “A huge victory for privacy rights and civil liberties in Maine”

Maine’s new law is the opposite of the first state to regulate the growing technology. In 2020 the state of Washington, backed by Microsoft okayed the use of the technology.

In the states that have contracted to use facial recognition, in order for a person to get their unemployment benefits, a photo ID would be matched to a video selfie that the recipient would take on their cellphone.

But not in Maine.