Friend –

California is on the cusp of helping Project 2025 achieve its goals. AB 1814 would greenlight facial recognition for police departments across the state. The bill is so weak and poorly written that it would make California a sitting duck for surveillance authoritarianism.

Why is this happening? So far, California lawmakers have ignored their constituents and the more than 70 reproductive justice, LGBTQ, immigrant's rights, privacy, and racial justice organizations who oppose AB 1814. The surveillance industry is powerful, and to stop it, we need to make our voices much, much louder.

STOP THE BILL: Call the offices of two key California Senators through our hotline 1-866-956-8590.

When someone answers, ask them to hold AB 1814 in committee for the following reasons:

• AB 1814 would be a dream come true for Project 2025. It would open state databases to facial recognition, putting all of us in perpetual virtual lineups.
• AB 1814 is one of the weakest facial recognition laws in the country. It would drag California down to the same level as Alabama.
• AB 1814 would let police use facial recognition in dangerous and anti-democratic ways. If it passes, it would be frightfully easy for a hostile presidential administration to use facial recognition to identify abortion seekers, LGBTQ people, activists, immigrants, students, and any other people they deem undesirable.
• Facial recognition is known to be racially biased, but instead of stopping this problem, AB 1814 all but ensures that Black people will continue to be wrongfully arrested. In fact, multiple survivors of wrongful facial recognition arrests oppose the bill, as do their lawyers.

Sacramento's lawmakers have returned from summer recess, and the next few weeks will determine whether AB 1814 passes or fails. Let's welcome them back with a strong, unified call to vote hold AB 1814 in committee.

It's now or never,

Becca Cramer-Mowder
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Legislative Advocate, ACLU California Action