Microsoft says it wont sell facial recognition software to police until theres a national law grounded in human rights

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In a conversation streamed online with The Washington Posts David Ignatius, Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company doesnt currently sell its technology to police departments in the U.S. and has decided that it wont until a national law is in place, "grounded in human rights," that governs its use. While Smith condones his tech counterparts for their actions, he stressed the importance of Congress pushing to make sure that bad actors arent able to fill the void and promote their own version of the technology. " While facial recognition software has been a controversial subject in the recent past, its significance has increased since the death in late May of George Floyd after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., who serves on the committee told CNBC in a phone interview on Wednesday that hes hopeful Congress will pass a bill this year. A Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement that the company is "also taking this opportunity to further strengthen our review processes for any customer seeking to use this technology at scale.

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