Question 1

What is FaceHeatMap?

Accepted Answer

FaceHeatMap is a free, open-source intelligence (OSINT) tool that tracks government use of facial recognition technology across the United States. It maps 85 law enforcement agencies and government bodies using FRT, along with vendor data, federal contracts, wrongful arrest records, and state privacy laws. It was built by VPDLNY (Vulnerable Persons Defense League of New York) to promote transparency and civil liberties.

Question 2

Which agencies use facial recognition technology in the US?

Accepted Answer

FaceHeatMap tracks 85 US agencies using facial recognition, including federal agencies (FBI FACE Services, ICE, CBP), state police departments across all 50 states, and hundreds of local police departments. Major vendors include Clearview AI (17 tracked agencies), Idemia (13 agencies), NEC, Veritone, DataWorks Plus, LACRIS, and Palantir. Some jurisdictions like Illinois, Oregon, Maine, and Washington have strong legal restrictions.

Question 3

Has facial recognition caused wrongful arrests in the US?

Accepted Answer

Yes. FaceHeatMap documents five confirmed wrongful arrest cases caused by facial recognition errors: Robert Williams (Detroit, 2020, DataWorks Plus), Michael Oliver (Detroit, 2019), Nijeer Parks (New Jersey, 2019), Randal Reid (Georgia, 2022), and Porcha Woodruff (Detroit, 2023, arrested while 8 months pregnant). These cases disproportionately affected Black Americans and led to ACLU litigation.

Question 4

Which states have banned facial recognition?

Accepted Answer

Several US states have strong facial recognition restrictions. Illinois (BIPA, 2008) has the strictest law with a private right of action. Oregon (HB 3202, 2021) bans state agencies from using FRT. Maine (Maine Act, 2021) bans all government use. Washington (HB 1493, 2023) requires warrants for law enforcement use. Cities including Boston, Cambridge, San Francisco, Oakland, and Seattle have local bans.

Question 5

How does Clearview AI work and why is it controversial?

Accepted Answer

Clearview AI scraped over 30 billion faces from the public internet without consent and sells access to law enforcement. It is used by ICE (with a known $9.2M contract in 2025), and over 600 US law enforcement agencies. It has been banned for commercial use in Illinois, Texas, Washington, and California. It paid a $6.75M settlement in Texas. FaceHeatMap tracks 17 confirmed Clearview AI deployments.

Question 6

Where does FaceHeatMap get its data?

Accepted Answer

FaceHeatMap sources data from the EFF Atlas of Surveillance, USASpending.gov federal contracts, MuckRock FOIA database, ACLU litigation records, GAO investigative reports, local news investigations, and academic research. All entries include source citations. The database is updated regularly through an automated intelligence pipeline.

Question 7

Is FaceHeatMap data free to use?

Accepted Answer

FaceHeatMap is completely free to use. The tool is open-source and built for public interest journalism, civil rights advocacy, academic research, and public awareness. The data is compiled from public records, government databases, and FOIA disclosures. We ask that users cite FaceHeatMap when using data in published work.

Question 8

Do I have to submit to facial recognition if police ask?

Accepted Answer

You have no legal obligation to submit to facial recognition technology. You have the right to demand your attorney before answering questions, document badge numbers and officer names, file FOIA requests for local surveillance contracts, and contact the ACLU or EFF for legal support. Laws vary by state — Illinois, Oregon, and Maine have the strongest protections.

RED	Active deployment, known contract, confirmed use
ORANGE	Confirmed use, no current contract on file
YELLOW	Reported, unconfirmed, or historical use
GREEN	Local ban or strong legal restriction passed

📍 Surveillance Entries

FaceHeatMap USA

🎯 Mission

📊 Data Sources

🚦 Risk Levels

⚠️ Wrongful Arrests

🛡️ Know Your Rights

🔗 Resources

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