Teen sues Apple for $1B after its facial recognition software led to his false arrest
An 18-year-old New York student has slapped Apple with a $1 billion lawsuit after he says the company’s facial recognition software led to his false arrest.
The suit filed Monday alleges that Ousmane Bah was first wrongly identified as a thief at one of Apple’s stores in Boston last May after someone used his learner's driving permit which did not have a photo to pass themselves off as him when they were caught stealing more than $1,200 worth of merchandise. Bah claims he lost his permit, which may have been found or stolen by the real criminal.
Bah then claims Apple took the perpetrator at his word and programmed the man’s face using Bah’s information into its security systems.
The thief then went on to steal at other Apple locations in New York, New Jersey and Delaware, which ultimately led to Bah’s arrest in November.
In the suit, Bah claims when police showed up at his home to arrest him, the photo attached to the arrest warrant didn’t look like him at all.
And, after reviewing the surveillance footage, the police later dropped the charges against him in New York and Delaware but charges are still pending in New Jersey.
As a result, Bah claims the allegations against him have led to severe stress and hardship.
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Neither Apple, nor the security firm used by the company Security Industry Specialists Inc., responded to FOX Business' request for comment on the suit.
Bloomberg was first to report the news of the lawsuit.