Black man wrongfully arrested after facial recognition misidentification in Detroit
Summary
In 2019, Robert Julian-Borchak Williams, a Black man from Detroit, was wrongfully arrested after facial recognition software incorrectly matched him to a suspect in a retail theft. After being detained for 30 hours, the error was discovered and he was released. The incident highlights the risks of flawed facial recognition technology and its disproportionate impact on Black individuals.
Incident Details
Domain
Algorithmic Discrimination
Automated systems that produce discriminatory outcomes based on protected characteristics.
Harm Types
Discrimination
Differential treatment or outcomes based on protected characteristics.
Wrongful Arrest
Severity
Minor involved
Companies
Who Was Affected
Age
Adult
Gender
Male
Group
Racial/Ethnic Minority
Sources
6Detroit woman at center of facial recognition lawsuit responds to police chief's claims - CBS News
Google News — facial recognition wrongful arrest·Aug 10, 2023
How Wrongful Arrests Based on AI Derailed 3 Men's Lives - WIRED
Google News — facial recognition wrongful arrest·Mar 7, 2022
Detroit sued over facial recognition arrest error - Cities Today
Google News — facial recognition wrongful arrest·Apr 15, 2021
Michigan man sues police for wrongful arrest based on facial recognition technology - MLive.com
Google News — facial recognition wrongful arrest·Apr 13, 2021
Man Wrongfully Arrested Because Face Recognition Can’t Tell Black People Apart - aclu.org
Google News — facial recognition wrongful arrest·Jun 24, 2020
'The Computer Got It Wrong': How Facial Recognition Led To False Arrest Of Black Man
Jun 24, 2020
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