Some Musicians Are Campaigning to Ban Facial Recognition at Concerts

“Facial recognition surveillance is uniquely dangerous. It doesn’t keep fans or artists safe."

Some musicians have teamed up with activists to call on live music companies to stop the use of facial recognition at concerts and festivals.

as they outline the potential dangers of the technology on citizens.

Artists like Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and indie-rock band Speedy OrtizDigital joined forces with the digital rights advocacy group Fight For The Future. The coalition is calling for Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation to rethink plans to launch the technology at live events.

READ: Macy Gray on Technology, the Power of Trap Music, and Lasting Forever

According to The Fader, Ticketmaster and Live Nation invested in the facial recognition technology company Blink Identity. In a leaked note to investors, the company reportedly said this investment would allow security to identify a ticketholder in "half a second" and leave concert-goers to simply walk into a venue.

“Facial recognition surveillance is uniquely dangerous. It doesn’t keep fans or artists safe, it just subjects them to invasive, racially biased monitoring that will inevitably lead to fans getting harassed, falsely arrested, deported, or worse," Evan Greer of Fight For the Future told Vice. "We're calling on all artists to stick up for their fans' basic rights and safety by speaking out against the use of Big Brother style biometric surveillance at live music events."