Surveillance prison taking shape
The Light|Issue 44 - April 2024
Facial recognition is turning us into walking ID cards
DONNA RACHEL
Surveillance prison taking shape

WHEN Harvey Eugene Murphy Jr visited his home state of Texas to get his driving licence renewed, he never imagined the trip would result in him being wrongfully arrested and assaulted in jail.

Yet that is precisely what happened to the 61-year-old grandfather thanks to Houston Police's reliance on facial recognition technology.

Murphy was arrested in relation to the armed robbery of a Sunglass Hut store in Houston. But while the real thieves were making off with thousands of dollars in cash and merchandise, Murphy was back home in California, nowhere near the scene. By the time the Harris County District Attorney's office in Texas figured that out, it was already too late three men had sexually assaulted Murphy in a bathroom in jail, leaving him with permanent injuries.

"Mr Murphy's story is troubling for every citizen in this country," said Daniel Dutko, a lawyer representing Murphy. "Any person could be improperly charged with a crime based on error-prone facial recognition software, just as he was."

This story is from the Issue 44 - April 2024 edition of The Light.

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This story is from the Issue 44 - April 2024 edition of The Light.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.