“Not Ready for Prime Time”: Biometrics and Biopolitics in the (Un)Making of California’s Facial Recognition Ban

Facial recognition is one of the most common—and contentious—applications of artificial intelligence. In October 2019, the US state of California, home to the Silicon Valley, passed the legislation AB1215, banning police from using facial recognition technology on body cameras. This article traces the trajectory of AB1215 as a social discourse from its first reading in February until it was signed into law through a close study of legislative documents, industry reports, civil society releases, and media coverage. We specifically investigate how and why the ban, initially intended to be permanent, was reduced to just three years, and identify the key social actors shaping the discourse. We argue that opposition to algorithmic governance needs to focus on its potential to exacerbate social discrimination rather than the shortcomings of the technology itself.