TLDR:
An innocent Texas man was falsely identified and arrested for a Sunglass Hut robbery due to a facial recognition software error. The man, Harvey Murphy Jr., was in a jail cell in California at the time of the robbery. The artificial intelligence software used low-quality surveillance footage to falsely identify Murphy as a suspect, leading to his arrest in Texas. Murphy was held in jail for nearly two weeks and was sexually assaulted before being released when officials realized his alibi proved his innocence. He is now seeking $10 million in damages from Macy’s and EssilorLuxottica, the company that owns Sunglass Hut.
An innocent Texas man was arrested, jailed for nearly two weeks, and sexually assaulted just before his release, all because facial recognition software mistakenly identified him as the suspect of a store robbery, a new lawsuit alleges.
When two men robbed a Sunglass Hut in Houston on Jan. 22, 2022, 61-year-old Harvey Murphy Jr. was in a jail cell 2,000 miles away in Sacramento, California, according to the lawsuit filed last week. The low-quality surveillance footage used by the artificial intelligence software falsely identified Murphy as a suspect, leading to a warrant for his arrest.
Murphy was later arrested upon returning to Texas, and a witness identified him as a suspect. He was held in jail until officials realized his alibi proved it was physically impossible for him to be responsible for the robbery. Shortly before his release, Murphy was sexually assaulted and raped in jail.
Murphy is now seeking $10 million in damages from Macy’s and EssilorLuxottica, the company that owns Sunglass Hut. The lawsuit argues that companies should not rely on AI technology to identify suspects, as it has a high rate of false positives.
The lawsuit also alleges that EssilorLuxottica’s facial recognition technology has a high accuracy rate only under ideal surveillance circumstances and should not be used without consistent lighting, positioning, and no obstructing objects.
Facial recognition technology has faced criticism for its potential for misuse and inaccuracies. This case highlights the dangers of relying on AI for identification purposes and the need for more safeguards to prevent wrongful arrests and other negative consequences. Murphy’s ordeal serves as a cautionary tale for the potential harm caused by the misuse of facial recognition technology and the importance of ensuring accuracy and reliability in its use.