IBM—IBM exited facial recognition market and called on Congress to regulate police use of surveillance technology
On June 8, 2020, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna sent a letter to Congress announcing IBM would no longer offer, develop, or research facial recognition technology. IBM called for national policies to address racial justice and police reform, becoming the first major tech company to exit the facial recognition market. Krishna stated IBM 'firmly opposes' use of facial recognition for mass surveillance and racial profiling.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algorithmic Fairness | +toward | secondary | +0.50 |
| Racial Justice | +toward | primary | +1.00 |
| Surveillance Technology | -against | primary | +1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | +0.737 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.59)
Evidence (2 signals)
MIT Technology Review reported IBM's facial recognition business was minimal, questioning the sacrifice involved
MIT Technology Review noted that IBM's facial recognition business did not generate significant revenue and its adoption by law enforcement was limited, suggesting the exit was partly a business decision rather than purely an ethical stance. IBM had tested the software with NYPD but broader adoption was limited.
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna sent letter to Congress announcing exit from facial recognition market
On June 8, 2020, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna wrote to members of Congress announcing IBM would no longer offer general-purpose facial recognition or analysis software, calling on Congress to enact reforms to advance racial justice and combat systemic racism.