Police used facial recognition tech on a Twitter video to find and charge a Lafayette Square protester with assault
Credit:
Wired
New court documents show how police can use facial recognition tech on videos posted on social media platforms such as Twitter to track down suspects.
The Washington Post reported on a case Monday concerning a man present at Lafayette Square, Washington DC on June 1. On that day, police forcibly removed peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters using tear gas and rubber bullets ahead of President Trump arriving for a photo-op outside St. John's Church.
According to the court documents seen by the Post, the man pulled a police officer to the ground and punched him in the face. Police tried to apprehend him, but he escaped. The police then turned to Twitter to track the protester down, the Post reported.