The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit today against the Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigations for their secrecy in using face recognition surveillance technology.

The organization accused the agencies of having “no accountability” and “no transparency” when it comes to using the software, and has now asked a federal court to demand that the said agencies hand over all their records as to how and when the technology was used.

“Through the request, the plaintiffs seek to understand and inform the public about, among other things, how face recognition and other biometric identification technologies are currently being used by the government, and what, if any, safeguards are currently in place to prevent their abuse and protect core constitutional rights,” the ACLU’s complaint read.

The ACLU added that “because of the FBI’s secrecy, little is known about how the agency is supercharging its surveillance activities with face recognition technology. But what little is known from public reporting, the FBI’s own admissions to Congress, and independent tests of the technology gives ample reason to be concerned.”

Moreover, the organization said, the software has been proven not to be accurate, but even if it even were to become 100% accurate, it would still impinge on people’s privacy rights and civil liberties.

“This dystopian surveillance technology threatens to fundamentally alter our free society into one where we’re treated as suspects to be tracked and monitored by the government 24/7,” said the ACLU. While such software has been used in benign ways, when its used secretly in matters of surveillance it has created controversy.

Earlier this year Microsoft Corp. refused to share its face recognition technology with law enforcement based on the fact it wasn’t accurate enough and it breached human rights. At around the same time Amazon.com Inc. came under pressure after it was revealed that it was selling its facial recognition technology, “Rekognition,” to law enforcement.

A number of U.S. cities and states are in agreement with ACLU and banning the technology. San Francisco instituted a ban this year, a city official saying it was “uniquely dangerous and oppressive.” A number of other cities followed and also banned the use of such software.

Photo: Massimo Ricci/Flickr