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Lawyer Kelly Conlon not too long ago accompanied her daughter on a Woman Scout area journey to Radio Metropolis Music Corridor. They had been there to observe the Christmas Spectacular. As an alternative of seeing the Rockettes, Conlon entered a scenario like one thing from the Twilight Zone or Black Mirror.
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Safety pulled Conlon apart, requested for her ID, and knowledgeable her she could not get in. Facial Recognition Expertise recognized her as an worker of a regulation agency embroiled in a authorized battle with Madison Sq. Backyard (MSG) Leisure, the corporate that owns the well-known venue.
“It was fairly simultaneous, I feel, to me, going by way of the steel detector,” Conlon instructed NBC New York, “that I heard over an intercom or loudspeaker. I heard them say a lady with lengthy darkish hair and a grey scarf.”
Conlon mentioned the guards instructed her they knew she was an lawyer as a proof for booting her from the occasion. However whereas she is employed by the New Jersey regulation agency Davis, Saperstein and Salomon — which NBC NY reviews has been entangled with MSG for years over a private damage case that occurred in an eaterie owned by the corporate — Conlon mentioned she’s “not an lawyer that works on any circumstances in opposition to MSG” and does not even observe in New York.
Conlon’s ejection wasn’t the act of overly conscientious guards. It was in keeping with MSG Leisure’s insurance policies. From NBC NY:
“MSG instituted an easy coverage that precludes attorneys pursuing lively litigation in opposition to the Firm from attending occasions at our venues till that litigation has been resolved. Whereas we perceive this coverage is disappointing to some, we can not ignore the truth that litigation creates an inherently hostile setting. All impacted attorneys had been notified of the coverage, together with Davis, Saperstein, and Salomon, which was notified twice,” a spokesperson for MSG Leisure mentioned in an announcement.
Conlon’s expertise, which she described as “mortifying,” solely served to warmth up the adversarial relationship between her agency and MSG Leisure.
Sam Davis, a companion at Davis, Saperstein and Salomon, instructed NBC NY that his agency goes after the corporate’s liquor license.
“The liquor license that MSG bought requires them to confess members of the general public,” he mentioned, “until there are individuals who could be disruptive who represent a safety menace.” Davis additionally mentioned that MSG barring Conlon from the occasion “below the pretext of defending any disclosure of litigation data — is completely absurd.”
Facial recognition expertise has been controversial as a result of issues about its potential for abuse. Some research have proven that facial recognition algorithms can produce inaccurate outcomes, significantly for folks with particular traits like darker pores and skin. There are additionally issues concerning the expertise’s potential for monitoring people with out their data or consent.
Moreover, there are fears that the expertise might be used to focus on sure teams or people for discrimination or persecution.
Chatting with NBC NY, lawyer Sam Davis was blunt: “The very fact they’re utilizing facial recognition to do that is scary. It is un-American to do that.”