San Francisco became the first city in the [US] to ban city use of facial recognition surveillance technology... a groundbreaking move that privacy advocates applaud, but others say may go too far. The legislation... also will force city departments to disclose what surveillance technology they currently use — and seek approval from the Board of Supervisors on any new technology that either collects or stores someone’s data... The ordinance passed the board 8-1.

... The San Francisco Police Department estimated it would take between two and four full-time employees to comply with the new ordinance. And even though the department says it does not currently use facial recognition technology, it may no longer acquire it in the future. The airport and port would be exempt from the ban, as they are federally regulated... “We agree there are problems with facial recognition ID technology and it should not be used today,” Joel Engardio, [Stop Crime SF] vice president said... “But the technology will improve and it could be a useful tool for public safety when used responsibly and with greater accuracy. We should keep the door open for that possibility.”... [F]acial recognition is becoming increasingly common, it is still expensive and has been blamed for major inaccuracies, particularly when identifying minorities.