The New York Senate Internet and Technology Committee has taken a significant legislative step in addressing the growing use of biometric surveillance technologies by law enforcement. Senate Bill S5609, introduced by Sen. Julia Salazar and six co-sponsors, was approved by the committee with a 5-2 vote. This action reflects a growing concern among New York lawmakers about the unchecked deployment of facial recognition systems and other biometric surveillance tools across the state.

The bill now advances to the Senate Codes Committee for further consideration. If passed, this legislation would establish New York as a leader in addressing the ethical and legal challenges posed by the use of biometric surveillance technologies in law enforcement. The bill aims to prohibit police departments and individual officers from acquiring, possessing, or using any biometric surveillance systems.

While the bill enforces a blanket ban on most biometric surveillance tools, it does allow for some exceptions, such as the continued use of mobile fingerprint scanners and access to the state’s DNA database. This approach strikes a balance between law enforcement needs and privacy rights.

S5609 defines a biometric surveillance system as any automated or semi-automated process used to identify individuals based on biometric information or that generates surveillance data from such information. This includes the use of facial recognition software, iris scans, gait recognition, and other forms of algorithmic identification tied to unique human features.

The bill also proposes the creation of a Biometric Surveillance Regulation Task Force. This twelve-member body, comprising representatives from law enforcement