A proposed to clearly authorize but regulate the use of facial recognition software on Utah’s driver license database fell flat at the Legislature on Wednesday, with the bill facing a bipartisan chorus of concerns related to privacy and warrantless searches.
But the bill’s sponsor, West Valley Republican Sen. Dan Thatcher, warned that inaction would mean the practice continues without legal guardrails as the state’s Department of Public Safety works to block bad actors from obtaining fraudulent identification.
“If we are going to issue a government ID,” Thatcher said, “then the onus is on us to ensure that we are not issuing an ID that can be used for identity theft or voter fraud or any of the other bad things you can do.