Face recognition ban proposal clears hurdle in Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - A facial recognition ban proposal cleared its first hurdle in Oakland.

On Tuesday, Oakland's Public Safety Committee voted 4-0 to pass the ordinance written by the Privacy Advisory Commission and sponsored by Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan.

The item now moves on to the full council n July 16. 

The technology can aid police departments in catching criminals faster but is also under scrutiny from civil libertarians counter who say that it c=could allow Big Brother to run amok.

San Francisco already passed a facial recognition technology ban, becoming the first city in the nation to do so. And Berkeley is going to vote on a similar proposal in July