The Mall of America (MOA) in Bloomington, Minnesota has recently implemented facial recognition technology as part of its security system. This cutting-edge technology is being used to identify individuals who are considered “persons of interest” by mall staff. A person of interest is someone who has been trespassed from the mall, poses a potential threat, has been identified by law enforcement, or is missing or in danger.
When a person of interest is identified, their photo is uploaded into the facial recognition system. The system is programmed to only look for matches to those specific photos. If there is no match, no data is stored and the system does not track or retain any information on non-persons of interest. If the system detects a match, an alert is sent to the security team who will then conduct an investigation.
Vice President of Security at Mall of America, Will Bernhjelm, stated that the use of this technology allows their security team to identify individuals of interest quickly and efficiently, enhancing the overall safety of the mall and its guests. With the mall being 5.6 million square feet, utilizing this cutting-edge technology helps fill in the security gaps left by human officers.
In 2021, the Minneapolis City Council voted to ban the use of facial recognition technology in most cases citing concerns over privacy and social justice issues. The decision came after a campaign led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Minnesota chapter which argued that facial recognition technology violates citizens’ rights and can be used for discriminatory purposes such as racial profiling and surveillance. Other cities that have banned facial recognition technology include Boston and San Francisco.
FOX 9 reached out to ACLU for comment on Mall of America’s use of facial recognition technology but has not received a response at this time.