So. For the past two years, a huge coalition led by @ACLU_Mass has been pushing for statewide law to bring face surveillance under democratic control. The state legislature wisely included strong face surveillance protections in the police reform sent to Governor Baker's desk.

Today, Governor Baker sent that bill back with amendments, striking the entire section on face surveillance (section 26 of S.2963). This is unacceptable, and we must fight to ensure the legislature stands firm behind its commitment to reining in this dangerous technology.

Now the legislature must decide what to do. It can and should send the legislation back to Governor Baker's desk with section 26 in tact.

In his statement to the legislature, Governor Baker misrepresented section 26. It is not a complete ban on facial recognition. Instead, it limits government use to the current facial recognition system at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV).

Section 26 allows the RMV to continue to use facial recognition to perform fraud checks, and allows police to use the RMV's system in two situations: 1. With a warrant, investigating violent felony crimes. And 2. In life and death emergencies, absent a warrant.

Crucially, Section 26 ensures facial surveillance cannot be used to track us as we go about our daily lives, going to school, church, medical facilities, cannabis shops, and to visit friends and family. It is urgently necessary law reform, and we must fight for it now.

We will have more information to share soon about how you can help to ensure Section 26 becomes law, to prevent the supercharging of racist discrimination and the targeting of Black and brown people. Please stay tuned. For now, the fight continues.

Please contact me directly if you want to help.

The @ACLU_Mass statement on Section 26 and Baker's amendments is here: https://www.aclum.org/en/news/statement-aclu-governor-baker-amendment-cutting-face-surveillance-regulations

Take action now to preserve key language on face surveillance! http://bit.ly/reject-baker-amendments