Los Angeles County has no countywide facial recognition prohibition; the Sheriff's Department accesses state and federal facial recognition databases including DOJ Cal-ID under existing law enforcement information-sharing agreements.
Unlike San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, and Alameda which have banned municipal facial recognition tools, LA County has not adopted a similar ordinance. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department queries state and federal databases including the California Department of Justice Cal-ID system, the DMV photo database via court order, and FBI Next Generation Identification. AB 1215 imposed a moratorium on facial recognition in body-worn cameras through January 2023 statewide, but that sunset has expired. Civil liberties groups including the ACLU of Southern California have advocated for a county ban. The Board of Supervisors directed a privacy impact assessment in 2022, but no ordinance has been enacted. Incorporated cities like Santa Monica likewise have no city ban.
There is no county prohibition to violate. However, misuse of facial recognition results without due process, racial-profiling reliance, or non-disclosure to defendants can lead to civil rights claims under 42 USC 1983 and Brady evidentiary challenges.
See how Palmdale's facial recognition ban rules stack up against other locations.
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