Some Cities Are Banning Tech. Good.

Hi all, it’s Eric. Portland, Oregon just became the least friendly city in the country for facial recognition. Its city council unanimously passed two bills this week related to the technology, one prohibiting local government agencies from using the technology, and the other banning many uses by private companies.

The bans come just as companies are starting to experiment with what facial recognition might make possible, and they highlight a Catch-22 when it comes to regulating technology. If the government bans a risky or ethically dubious new technology, society might never learn how it could have benefited. If the government is too slow, people can become attached to a new technology in ways that make it hard to get rid of.