IBM quits facial recognition business, CEO Arvind Krishna takes stand on race protests

IT giant International Business Machines (IMB) on Monday announced that it will no longer offer facial recognition or analysis software, with Indian-origin CEO, Arvind Krishna, in a letter to the US Congress calling for new efforts to pursue justice and racial equity.

Krishna said the company will stop offering facial recognition software and opposes any use of such technology for purposes of mass surveillance and racial profiling.

'Now is the time'

According to CNBC, in his letter delivered to members to Congress, the IBM CEO wrote, "IBM firmly opposes and will not condone uses of any technology, including facial recognition technology offered by other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of basic human rights and freedoms, or any purpose which is not consistent with our values and Principles of Trust and Transparency.”

“We believe now is the time to begin a national dialogue on whether and how facial recognition technology should be employed by domestic law enforcement agencies,” he added. The announcement came as America is rattled with nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, under police custody in Minneapolis. CNBC also reported that IBM's facial recognition business did not generate significant revenue. 

Sever government officials across the United States have proposed reforms to address police brutality and racial injustice aimed at boosting oversight of law enforcement agencies.

Thousands mourn George Floyd in Texas

Thousands of mourners from across the US lined up outside a church in Houston on Monday to offer their condolences to African-American George Floyd, as his custodial killing two weeks ago continues to stoke widespread protests in America and other countries over racial injustice.

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His body arrived in Houston late on Saturday for funeral service and burial scheduled for Tuesday. The six-hour-long public viewing for Floyd, which got underway at noon till 6 pm attracted over 5,000 mourners in the record heat, wearing masks and gloves. The mourners lined up to usher in to walk toward Floyd's golden casket for a brief moment to pay their respects.

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Floyd's funeral is scheduled for Tuesday, followed by burial at the Houston Memorial Gardens cemetery in Pearland, where he will be laid to rest next to his mother Larcenia Floyd.

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(With agency inputs)