U.S. blocks Amazon efforts to stop shareholder votes on facial recognition

(Reuters) – U.S. securities regulators shot down attempts by Amazon.com Inc to stop its investors from considering two shareholder proposals about the company’s controversial sale of a facial recognition service, a sign of growing scrutiny of the technology. One proposal would require Amazon to cease offering facial recognition to governments unless the company’s board determined sales did not violate civil liberties. Michael Connor, executive director of Open MIC, an advocacy group working with shareholders, including a religious order, who brought the resolutions, said the SEC decisions show the developing rules around facial recognition are “really a critical issue for a company like Amazon and how it handles the business risk associated with the technology.”

Source: www.reuters.com