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Oklahoma City has approved a controversial agreement to integrate facial recognition into its police force, pushing forward with the plan despite growing public unease over surveillance tools powered by artificial intelligence.
The city council voted 7-2 in favor of the contract on July 15, marking a decision that has deepened tensions between calls for public safety and longstanding concerns about privacy rights.
City officials have kept critical details under wraps, including the vendor involved and how the technology will be implemented.
Civil rights advocates are raising concerns, warning that facial recognition systems, especially when adopted without community oversight, risk violating privacy and amplifying existing inequities in law enforcement.
The technology’s track record of misidentifying individuals has been well-documented.
Council members who backed the contract claim the technology could help officers track down suspects more efficiently and assist in locating missing persons.
Critics are demanding that the city publicly release the contract and explain whether it includes any meaningful safeguards, such as restrictions on data use or independent monitoring.
So far, there has been no confirmation on whether the agreement requires regular audits or public disclosures.
This lack of transparency has only fueled concern that decisions with far-reaching implications are being made without giving the public a clear view of how the tools will operate or whom they might affect most.
Oklahoma City’s decision is unfolding during a time when biometric surveillance is under increasing legal and political scrutiny.
Outside the US, courts are also responding to growing discomfort with unchecked surveillance.
In May, a Canadian court upheld a ban on facial recognition company Clearview AI, citing the absence of meaningful consent and data protection.
Police in London, UK, have been rolling out mass facial recognition technology in public streets and at events, leading to lawsuits after innocent people are being flagged by the invasive technology.
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