File #: 2021-0091    Version:
Type: Ordinance Status: Passed
File created: 2/16/2021 In control: Committee of the Whole
On agenda: Final action: 6/1/2021
Enactment date: 6/17/2021 Enactment #: 19296
Title: AN ORDINANCE relating to facial recognition, prohibiting the acquisition and use of facial recognition technology by County administrative offices and executive departments, including the department of public safety; and adding a new chapter in K.C.C. Title 2.
Sponsors: Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Rod Dembowski, Dave Upthegrove, Girmay Zahilay
Indexes: Administration, Technology
Code sections: 2 -
Attachments: 1. Ordinance 19296, 2. 2021-0091 Amendment 1, 3. 2021-0091_SR-FacialRecBan_Updated_Draft.docx, 4. 5-5-21 COW Public Comment.pdf, 5. 2021-0091_ATT2_AMDS1_Final.docx, 6. 2021-0091 Sanders Comments.pdf, 7. 2021-0091 Campbell.pdf, 8. 2021-0091 Nakkanti.pdf, 9. 2021-0091 Pincus.pdf, 10. 2021-0091_SR-FacialRecBan_5-19-21.docx, 11. 2021-0091_ATT1 Proposed Ordinance.pdf, 12. 2021-0091_ATT2_AMDS1_Final.docx, 13. 2021-0091_RevisedSR_FacialRecBan.docx
Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to facial recognition, prohibiting the acquisition and use of facial recognition technology by County administrative offices and executive departments, including the department of public safety; and adding a new chapter in K.C.C. Title 2.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The development of a diverse array of sophisticated surveillance tools, including facial recognition technology, combined with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, has spurred the unprecedented surveillance of individuals by governments around the world.
2. The council finds that the propensity for surveillance technology, specifically facial recognition technology, to endanger civil rights and liberties substantially outweighs the purported benefits, and that such technology will exacerbate racial injustice.
3. The council finds that the use of facial recognition technology to watch, categorize, monitor, and record the activities and movements of county residents disproportionately impacts people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ people and political activists of all backgrounds. Bias, accuracy issues and stereotypes built into facial recognition technology pose a threat to the residents of King County.
4. The council recognizes the emerging need to protect individuals' public safety, privacy and civil rights has led a growing number of local governments to adopt laws prohibiting the use of facial recognition and other surveillance technology. United States cities including Oakland, San Francisco and Boston have passed bans on the government use of facial recognition technology.
5. The department of public safety, otherwise known as the King County sheriff's office, is a county executive department according to Section 350.20.40 of the King County Charter.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Sections 2 through 4 of this ordinance should constitute a new chapter in K.C.C. Title 2.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 2. The definitions in this section apply th...

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