Frontier Institute Statement In Support Of SB 397
Frontier Institute Statement In Support Of SB 397
Legislation will protect Montanans’ privacy
Legislation will protect Montanans’ privacy
THE FOLLOWING IS A FORMAL COMMENT PROVIDED BY THE FRONTIER INSTITUTE IN REGARD TO THE HJ 48 STUDY OF FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY DRAFT LEGISLATION
"If the problem with Big Tech is centralized control of online activity, then Big Government — the most centralized authority of all — can never be the solution."
"Privacy–it’s something deeply entwined with what it means to be a Montanan, but in today’s ever changing technological landscape there are constantly new threats to our right to privacy."
"With these two upcoming opportunities to strengthen privacy protections, Montana remains the last best place to simply be left alone."
THE FOLLOWING IS A FORMAL COMMENT PROVIDED BY THE FRONTIER INSTITUTE IN REGARD TO THE HJ 48 STUDY OF FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY
"So far, the committee has confirmed our suspicions: Montanans who apply for government benefits or receive a driver’s license are vulnerable to law enforcement searches of their biometric information with little legislative oversight."
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle now recognize that Montana’s lack of uniform and transparent restrictions on how government agencies can use facial recognition poses a serious threat to the privacy of Montanans.
We know it’s possible to have an efficient and technologically adept state government, while also ensuring this technology doesn’t run roughshod over our rights as Montanans.
The Legislature must address facial recognition to ensure Montanans can use the technology without sacrificing privacy and rights.
As the faces of more Montanans are logged in government facial recognition systems, lawmakers need to be looking at how to better protect our privacy.
While facial recognition may provide a powerful tool, appropriate restrictions need to be implemented to protect Montanans.
Several Montana agencies have confirmed the use of facial recognition. But the full extent to which the technology is being used is still unclear.
HB 479 Expands Privacy Protections for Digital Data