ATF Utilizes Facial Recognition Software to Identify Gun Owners

By JP Pichardo

Several reports now indicate that ATF has access to and utilizes facial recognition technology (FRT) to identify gun owners. In fact, two Government Accountability Office reports confirm that ATF does have access to various facial recognition systems including Clearview AI, Vigilant Solutions, and other systems owned by other federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial law enforcement agencies.[1] GAO described the Clearview AI database as:
“[A] web-based facial recognition service using 30+ billion facial images sourced from publicly-available websites, including news media, mugshot, and social media websites, among others.”[2]
A 2021 GAO report found that ATF did not have sufficient accountability mechanisms “to track what non-federal systems with facial recognition technology are used by employees.”[3] According to testimony given to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, ATF “initially used these services without requiring their staff to take training on topics such as how the technology works, what photos are appropriate to use, and how to interpret the results.”[4]
GAO scolded federal agencies, stating that they “must consider the potential impact of its use on civil rights and civil liberties[, b]ecause the potential for error and the potential to misidentify someone could lead to the arrest and prosecution of an innocent person.”[5] GAO was also

Source: Gun Owners of America