Re: Amazon's dangerous Rekognition technology

Friend, Amazon needs to get out of the government surveillance business. Amazon's facial recognition technology, Rekognition, is frightening. It can identify people in photos of large groups, crowded events and public places. In the hands of government agencies, Rekognition would supercharge already existing racist and discriminatory policing practices and boost the Trump administration's efforts to suppress and criminalize dissent.1 Recent reports reveal that law enforcement agencies in Florida and Oregon are already using this mass surveillance system to police communities.2Speak out now to stop Amazon from selling Rekognition to more government agencies. [Sign the petition from CREDO: Tell Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos: Stop powering Trump's surveillance state. Prohibit all government use of Rekognition.]( [SIGN THE PETITION]( Donald Trump has already expanded government surveillance and the policing of communities resisting his fascist regime. ICE and Border Patrol are arresting and deporting immigrant activists.3 DHS is recording immigrants' social media and online activity.4 The FBI is monitoring and jailing leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement.5 And Trump Republicans have introduced legislation to restrict people's right to protest in nearly 20 states across the country.6 These attacks on our civil rights and civil liberties are moving the country dangerously closer to authoritarianism. We cannot allow Amazon to profit from a mass surveillance system that would give government agencies the power to tear down resistance movements and destroy our democracy. Since Trump took office, Bezos has been playing both sides. He publicly condemned Trump's Muslim ban, but also helped normalize and legitimize the Trump regime by serving as a Trump tech adviser.7 Now, he has an opportunity to show Amazon customers exactly where he stands. Bezos must make a choice: Will he protect the civil liberties and civil rights of U.S. residents by prohibiting government use of Rekognition, or will he help Trump's fascist regime spy on them? CREDO recently joined with our friends at Center for Media Justice and the ACLU, along with more than 30 other allies, to send a letter demanding that Bezos do the right thing.8 Now it's time to amplify that call with grassroots pressure. [Sign the petition to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos: Stop powering Trump's surveillance state. Prohibit all government use of Rekognition.]( [SIGN THE PETITION]( Thanks for speaking out, Nicole Regalado, Campaign Manager [CREDO Action from Working Assets]( References: - Julie Carrie Wong, "['Recipe for authoritarianism': Amazon under fire for selling face-recognition software to police](," The Guardian, May 22, 2018. - Elizabeth Dwoskin, "[Amazon is selling facial recognition to law enforcement — for a fistful of dollars](," The Washington Post, May 22, 2018. - John Burnett, "[See The 20+ Immigration Activists Arrested Under Trump](," NPR, March 16, 2018. - Willa Frej, "[U.S. Quietly Announces Plan To Monitor Immigrants’ Social Media Accounts, Search Histories](," HuffPost, Sept. 28, 2017. - Nicole Hemmer, "[The government prosecution of a “black identity extremist” fell apart. Meanwhile, white supremacists are on the march](." Vox, May 19, 2018. - ACLU, "[Anti-protest bills around the country](," June 23, 2017. - CBS News, "[Jeff Bezos joins chorus of CEOs challenging Trump travel ban](," Jan. 31, 2017. - Nick Wingfield, "[Amazon Pushes Facial Recognition to Police. Critics See Surveillance Risk.](" The New York Times, May 22, 2018. Paid for by CREDO. Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612. Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Daily Kos, please [click here](.