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New technology brings with it new powers and questions. Since Detroit police began using facial recognition technology, there have been questions about how if it should be used, if it should be used at all.

Update: Tuesday, July 30, 7:40 a.m. The debate about police use of facial recognition software continues in Detroit.

Experts and activists¹ shared their concerns about the technology at a forum² Monday. Some experts say their fears about the technology extend beyond its current use in Detroit.

Detroit police have been using facial recognition for more than a year. The department says it doesn't use the technology for real-time surveillance, nor does it plan to.

But some say that's not enough to guarantee that facial recognition isn't used to violate people's civil liberties now or in the future.

Tawana Petty is with the Detroit Community Technology Project.

I think the fact that our DPD leadership and our city government doesn't really understand the implications of this technology is really leading them to lead us astray, she says.

Petty also questions why Detroit would push forward with facial recognition when it's known to have a higher error rate with people of color.

The Detroit police department says there are multiple checks and balances to prevent potential misidentification.

Clare Garvie is with the Georgetown University Center on Privacy and Technology. She says that still doesn't address some fundamental concerns.

It could be a new administration that comes in and says, we would love to use face recognition as a surveillance tool, she says. So that's not a meaningful check against potential abuse or misuse³.

Detroit's board of police commissioners⁴ still has not formally approved an oversight⁵ policy for the technology.

A bill introduced in the State House would put a five-year moratorium⁶ on the technology in Michigan.

Original post: Friday, July 26, 5:30 a.m. Listen above to Morning Edition host Doug Tribou's conversation with Detroit Free Press columnist⁷ Nancy Kaffer about the technology.

Kaffer also wrote about the issue in a column titled, "Detroit police need to answer questions about facial recognition."

You can read more of Kaffer's writing on the opinion page at Freep.com. You also can follow her on Twitter.

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 misuse   

n.误用，滥用；vt.误用，滥用

参考例句：

• It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents.你如此滥用自己的才能，使我深感不安。
• He was sacked for computer misuse.他因滥用计算机而被解雇了。

4 commissioners   

n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官

参考例句：

• The Commissioners of Inland Revenue control British national taxes. 国家税收委员管理英国全国的税收。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The SEC has five commissioners who are appointed by the president. 证券交易委员会有５名委员，是由总统任命的。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

5 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

6 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

7 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。