NYC Facial Scan Hearing Witnesses Sound Off Over Proposed Bans

Proposals to ban facial-recognition technology use at businesses and residential buildings drew a large crowd to testify at a contentious, five-hour City Council hearing Wednesday—divided about evenly between critics and proponents.

The two bills introduced in April would prohibit apartment buildings and places of public accommodation, such as stadiums and retail stores, from using the tech to identify residents and customers, respectively. Both would also require subjects’ consent for any collection of facial data.

Government officials, privacy advocates, lobbyists, and business owners were among the 25 people who offered testimony on the potential impacts of the legislation. Those speaking in ...