Amazon imposes 12-month ban on police use of its face recognition

NEW YORK - US technology giant Amazon on Wednesday announced the suspension of police use of its facial recognition software for a year.

The Seattle-based company did not explain why it decided to bar police from using facial recognition tool in its blog post, while the software has been reportedly criticized for misidentifying African-Americans.

"We've advocated that governments should put in place stronger regulations to govern the ethical use of facial recognition technology," the company said, expressing its hope that "this one-year moratorium might give Congress enough time to implement appropriate rules."

"We stand ready to help if requested," Amazon added.

The statement came amid the nationwide protests against racial discrimination and biased policing, following the death of African American George Floyd, who died in police custody on May 25 in Minneapolis. He was knelt on the neck by a white officer for almost nine minutes before he lost consciousness and stopped breathing.