Note: This meeting will start at 7:00 PM, NOT at our usual time. Doors will be monitored for access until 7:20 PM. If you arrive later, please post a note to the meeting page on Meetup, and we'll work to respond and let you in.

Join us for a combined meeting with Seattle TA3M!

Details about the meeting location and parking are listed at the end.

You are probably in a criminal face recognition network.

Did you know that half of US adults are in a face-recognition database? If you live in Oregon or Washington state, your face data is stored in your state's driver license database. Both states use facial recognition software to prevent driver license fraud and neither currently shares their databases with law enforcement. But what if that changes?

Facial recognition can be useful for some things, like unlocking our phones, but companies and governments can also use the technology for their own purposes — without our consent. While the technology has made great advances in accuracy, many programs still have difficulty with darker faces, women, and children. And a number of questions still exist in other areas including privacy, consent, discrimination, and whether the technology will be used for general, suspicionless surveillance.

Clare Garvie and her colleagues at Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy and Technology did a year-long investigation on police use of facial recognition, and the result of their research is a paper called "The Perpetual Line-Up: Unregulated Police Face Recognition in America" (https://www.perpetuallineup.org/). She'll share insights from the study and tell us how the information has already been put to use in shaping policy for the use of facial recognition technology by government. She'll be speaking to both groups, Seattle TA3M and us, via teleconference.

Join us for a great presentation and discussion about facial recognition! We'll have snacks, and there will be an opportunity for networking afterwards. We hope to see you there!

Schedule:

6:55 PM: Doors

7:00 PM: Introductions

7:10 PM: Presentation

Speaker bio:

Clare Garvie joined the Center on Privacy and Technology as a Law Fellow after graduating from Georgetown Law in 2015, and now serves as a Senior Associate. In 2016, she was lead author of The Perpetual Line-Up: Unregulated Police Face Recognition in America. Her current research continues to focus on the use of face recognition by law enforcement and the ways activists, public defenders, and policymakers can ensure the technology is under control. Prior to entering law school, she worked in human rights and international criminal law with the International Center for Transitional Justice. She received her B.A. from Barnard College in political science, human rights, and psychology. You can follow her on Twitter at @clareangelyn.

By attending this TA3M meeting, you agree to follow our Code of Conduct: https://www.meetup.com/Portlands-Techno-Activism-3rd-Mondays/pages/22681732/Code_of_Conduct/

{short} Code of Conduct Portland's Techno-Activism 3rd Mondays is dedicated to providing an informative and positive experience for everyone who participates in or supports our community, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion, socioeconomic status, caste, or creed.

Our events are intended to educate and share information related to technology and activism, and anyone who is there for this purpose is welcome. Because we value the safety and security of our members and strive to have an inclusive community, we do not tolerate harassment of members or event participants in any form.

Audio and video recording are not permitted at meetings without prior approval.

Our Code of Conduct (https://www.meetup.com/Portlands-Techno-Activism-3rd-Mondays/pages/22681732/Code_of_Conduct/) applies to all events run by Portland's TA3M. Please report any incidents to the event organizer.

The Portland Bureau of Planning & Sustainability Smart Cities Initiative would like to engage Portlanders about surveillance technologies. Come to this class to learn about facial recognition technology and engage in conversation about the potential impacts on peoples' lives.

Please note that this meeting is on the 3rd TUESDAY this month because of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday! Doors open at 6:00 PM and will be monitored for access until 6:20 PM

Facial recognition technologies are now being implemented around the world. While some uses of facial recognition, like unlocking your phone, may be convenient, others allow your facial information to be collected, used, and shared, without your knowledge or consent. Both governments and companies are now getting in on the act, often with little to no oversight or rules in place. In addition to these transparency issues, facial recognition software programs have varying degrees of accuracy and have been shown to be less reliable when analyzing people of color, women, and children.

Because of this facial recognition free-for-all, and due to the fact that our faces cannot easily be changed, some cities, including San Francisco, Oakland, and Somerville, MA, have banned government agencies from using facial recognition. Portland city officials are also considering a facial recognition ban and are exploring going a step further in order to address use by private entities as well.

Smart City PDX is preparing two separate ordinances — one for public agencies and another for private entities — and both are tentatively scheduled for City Council hearings this spring. You can view a draft of the public version at https://www.dropbox.com/s/z989uxauygd0svr/Facial%20Recognition%20Ordinance%20City%20use%20%20-%20first%20public%20draft%20-%20November%208%202019.pdf

Hector Dominguez, the Open Data Coordinator at Smart City PDX, within Portland's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, is working with other city officials to develop the proposed facial recognition ban legislation. At the meeting, he’ll share with us the details of what's currently in the ordinance drafts and will also explain how these rules, if passed, will work.

Bring your questions and join the discussion! We'll have snacks, and there will be an opportunity for networking afterwards. We hope to see you there!

Schedule: 6:00 PM: Doors 6:10 PM: Introductions 6:15 PM: Presentation

Speaker bio:

Hector Dominguez is the Open Data Coordinator at the City of Portland. In 2009, Portland became the first city in the United States to adopt an Open Data Resolution to encourage the expansion of the technological community by promoting open data and partnerships between City government and the public, private and nonprofit sectors, academia, and labor.

By attending this TA3M meeting, you agree to follow our Code of Conduct: https://www.meetup.com/Portlands-Techno-Activism-3rd-Mondays/pages/22681732/Code_of_Conduct/

{short} Code of Conduct Portland's Techno-Activism 3rd Mondays is dedicated to providing an informative and positive experience for everyone who participates in or supports our community, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion, socioeconomic status, caste, or creed.

Our events are intended to educate and share information related to technology and activism, and anyone who is there for this purpose is welcome. Because we value the safety and security of our members and strive to have an inclusive community, we do not tolerate harassment of members or event participants in any form.

Audio and video recording are not permitted at meetings without prior approval.

Our Code of Conduct (https://www.meetup.com/Portlands-Techno-Activism-3rd-Mondays/pages/22681732/Code_of_Conduct/) applies to all events run by Portland's TA3M. Please report any incidents to the event organizer.

Facial recognition technologies are being implemented around the world. While some uses of facial recognition, like unlocking your phone, may be convenient, others allow your facial information to be collected, used, and shared, without your knowledge or consent. Both governments and companies are now using this technology, often with little to no oversight or rules in place. In addition to transparency issues, facial recognition software programs have varying degrees of accuracy and have been shown to be less reliable when analyzing people of color, women, and children.

Because of these issues, some cities, including San Francisco, Oakland, and Somerville, MA, have banned government agencies from using facial recognition. Portland city officials are also considering a facial recognition ban and are looking to go a step further and address use by private entities as well.

There are many details to consider when adopting technologies like facial recognition, which can be used for surveillance. What are the costs and benefits? Who will be the target of the surveillance? Will it make us safer? What are we giving up in exchange for that safety? And should the technology be adopted at all?

On June 15th, join us for a combined event, with local privacy group PDX Privacy, where we'll ask our knowledgeable panelists the answers to these questions. We'll explore the risks of facial recognition technology, the ways it affects various groups of people, and how we can preserve our privacy and protect our communities.

We'll have a Q&A period via the chat box, but you can also send questions in advance to [email protected], and we'll work to get them into the discussion.

Moderator: Chris Bushick (PDX Privacy)

Panelists:

• Sarah Hamid - CAIR Oregon

• Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty - Portland City Council

• Nathan "nash" Sheard - Electronic Frontier Foundation

• Clare Garvie - Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown Law

By attending this TA3M meeting, you agree to follow our Code of Conduct: https://www.meetup.com/Portlands-Techno-Activism-3rd-Mondays/pages/22681732/Code_of_Conduct/

{short} Code of Conduct Portland's Techno-Activism 3rd Mondays is dedicated to providing an informative and positive experience for everyone who participates in or supports our community, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion, socioeconomic status, caste, or creed.

Our events are intended to educate and share information related to technology and activism, and anyone who is there for this purpose is welcome. Because we value the safety and security of our members and strive to have an inclusive community, we do not tolerate harassment of members or event participants in any form.

Audio and video recording are not permitted at meetings without prior approval.

Our Code of Conduct (https://www.meetup.com/Portlands-Techno-Activism-3rd-Mondays/pages/22681732/Code_of_Conduct/) applies to all events run by Portland's TA3M. Please report any incidents to the event organizer.

Last month, we had a great panel discussion about the use of facial recognition technologies, where we looked at the accuracy of the technology as well as how it affects various groups of people and their civil rights. Due to a number of issues surrounding the technology, several cities have banned government agencies from using facial recognition, and there's currently a similar effort at the federal level.

In August, the City of Portland will consider two bills that ban the use of facial recognition technologies within the City. One bill addresses use by public agencies, and the other addresses private use.

Hector Dominguez, the Open Data Coordinator at Smart City PDX, within Portland's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, is one of the chief authors of the proposed bills and will join us this month to discuss what each piece of legislation covers and how the bans, if approved, will work. He'll also talk about the internal efforts to develop a privacy toolkit that includes privacy impact and risk assessments, guidelines, and a Privacy Champions Network.

Links to drafts of the legislation and the City Code amendment are available on the meeting registration page at: https://www.meetup.com/Portlands-Techno-Activism-3rd-Mondays/events/271802710/

Bring your questions and join the discussion. We hope to see you there!

Speaker bio:

Hector Dominguez is the Open Data Coordinator at the City of Portland. In 2009, Portland became the first city in the United States to adopt an Open Data Resolution to encourage the expansion of the technological community by promoting open data and partnerships between City government and the public, private and nonprofit sectors, academia, and labor.

By attending this TA3M meeting, you agree to follow our Code of Conduct: https://www.meetup.com/Portlands-Techno-Activism-3rd-Mondays/pages/22681732/Code_of_Conduct/

{short} Code of Conduct Portland's Techno-Activism 3rd Mondays is dedicated to providing an informative and positive experience for everyone who participates in or supports our community, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion, socioeconomic status, caste, or creed.

Our events are intended to educate and share information related to technology and activism, and anyone who is there for this purpose is welcome. Because we value the safety and security of our members and strive to have an inclusive community, we do not tolerate harassment of members or event participants in any form.

Audio and video recording are not permitted at meetings without prior approval.

Our Code of Conduct (https://www.meetup.com/Portlands-Techno-Activism-3rd-Mondays/pages/22681732/Code_of_Conduct/) applies to all events run by Portland's TA3M. Please report any incidents to the event organizer.

Digital and physical surveillance are at all-time highs, and privacy is dissipating from our society. But why should we care about privacy if we have nothing to hide?

In this session, AJ Rice will discuss how a lack of privacy affects us as individuals and as a society. Using specific examples, Rice will cover the direct consequences of a world without privacy and also the more subtle ways an absence of privacy undermines the rights of those who have nothing to hide. This presentation will focus specifically on why privacy matters, and not on what we should do about it.

Bring your questions and join the discussion. We hope to see you there!

Speaker bio:

AJ Rice is a privacy advocate, and the founder & CEO of Privo Mobile. Privo Mobile is a Portland-based tech startup making (private) dumb phones designed for kids with a modern user experience and interface.

By attending this TA3M meeting, you agree to follow our Code of Conduct: https://www.meetup.com/Portlands-Techno-Activism-3rd-Mondays/pages/22681732/Code_of_Conduct/

{short} Code of Conduct Portland's Techno-Activism 3rd Mondays is dedicated to providing an informative and positive experience for everyone who participates in or supports our community, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion, socioeconomic status, caste, or creed.

Our events are intended to educate and share information related to technology and activism, and anyone who is there for this purpose is welcome. Because we value the safety and security of our members and strive to have an inclusive community, we do not tolerate harassment of members or event participants in any form.

Audio and video recording are not permitted at meetings without prior approval.

Our Code of Conduct (https://www.meetup.com/Portlands-Techno-Activism-3rd-Mondays/pages/22681732/Code_of_Conduct/) applies to all events run by Portland's TA3M. Please report any incidents to the event organizer.

Last year, the City of Portland banned the use of facial recognition technologies by municipal government and local businesses. While enactment of these facial recognition bans is an important local victory in the fight to protect our biometric privacy, what about use of facial recognition by the federal government?

Federal agencies are exempt from local laws, and although a number of national privacy bills are currently under consideration in Congress, some of those bills would preempt state and local privacy laws like ours. To review the current federal proposals, take a look at the great bill tracker by the International Association of Privacy Professionals located here: https://iapp.org/resources/article/us-federal-privacy-legislation-tracker/

Wondering which of these bills has the best chance of becoming law? Curious what the likelihood is of any privacy bill at all being adopted and implemented at the federal level? Well, you're in luck!

Adam Schwartz, Senior Staff Attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, has been working on privacy issues, including face surveillance, for over two decades and has agreed to talk with us about the state of the proposed federal bills. Since he'll be joining us and sharing his privacy-related insights, we've also asked him to talk about the Clearview AI lawsuit and how its outcome might affect the public and private use of facial recognition throughout the country.

Bring your questions and join the conversation!

Related article: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/victory-lawsuit-proceeds-against-clearviews-face-surveillance

Speaker bio:

Adam Schwartz joined EFF as a Senior Staff Attorney in 2015. He advocates before courts and legislatures against surveillance and censorship. He has represented travelers subjected to warrantless smartphone searches by border officers, dissidents seeking to speak in government social media, and customers of phone companies that unlawfully sold location data. He has filed amicus briefs addressing the right to record on-duty police, perpetual location-tracking of court-involved people, face surveillance by corporations of consumers, and overbroad laws against so-called "cyber stalking." Through FOIA enforcement litigation, he helped expose new information about AT&T's "Hemisphere" phone snooping program. He has worked to pass bills to protect consumer data privacy, and to stop high-tech surveillance of immigrants.

Previously, Adam worked at the ACLU of Illinois for 19 years, and clerked for Judge Betty B. Fletcher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He earned a J.D. from Howard University and a B.A. from Cornell University.

By attending this TA3M meeting, you agree to follow our Code of Conduct:

{short} Code of Conduct Portland's Techno-Activism 3rd Mondays is dedicated to providing an informative and positive experience for everyone who participates in or supports our community, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion, socioeconomic status, caste, or creed.

Our events are intended to educate and share information related to technology and activism, and anyone who is there for this purpose is welcome. Because we value the safety and security of our members and strive to have an inclusive community, we do not tolerate harassment of members or event participants in any form.

Audio and video recording are not permitted at meetings without prior approval.

Our Code of Conduct (https://www.meetup.com/Portlands-Techno-Activism-3rd-Mondays/pages/22681732/Code_of_Conduct/) applies to all events run by Portland's TA3M. Please report any incidents to the event organizer.