Mandy Rice-Davies Applies*

Vendors of facial recognition technology are urging caution on any regulations on the use and abuse of their technology.

Of course they are.  They are opposed to anything that would make it harder for them to monetize our privacy:

The trade group representing many of the largest technological security companies is urging regulators not to overreach on facial recognition restrictions even as U.S. lawmakers push to rein in police use of the software.

The Security Industry Association, which represents NEC Corp., France’s Idemia Group, Japan’s Ayonix Corp. and others, will release on Tuesday day a 10-point framework urging policy-makers, companies and governments to embrace the benefits of the technology, while upholding certain ethical principles.

SIA is defending government use of facial recognition at a time when some civil rights advocates, companies, and lawmakers are calling for police departments to stop using the technology. Critics want better guardrails to ensure facial recognition doesn’t promote racial biases in the criminal justice system.

Calls to curb law enforcement’s use of the technology grew louder during widespread public outrage over racial inequities following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, in Minneapolis police custody in May.

SIA’s policy principles, obtained by Bloomberg News, caution lawmakers not to adopt a “one-size-fits-all legislative framework.”

Here is a quick rule of thumb:  When businesses start proposing regulatory forbearance, or suggesting that, "One Size Fits All," legislation (mark your bullsh%$ bingo card) would be a bad thing, and that they are proposing, "Policy Principles," it means that they want business as usual to continue, typically by sucking the marrow out of the public space.

These folks want to make money by being evil, and they don't care if they sell to corrupt and brutal cops in the USA, or Chinese authorities enforcing a genocide against the Uighurs. 

^*Well, he would say that, wouldn't he? Seriously, know your history.