Nine privacy organizations have pulled out of government negotiations to determine voluntary standards for the commercial use of facial recognition technology, saying that business interests have hijacked the process.

At least two trade groups are part of the talks led by the National Telecommunication and Information Administration, although they are not among the organizations leaving in protest. The sticking point for privacy advocates: Businesses should only collect facial recognition data if consumers give them permission.

"You can change your password and your credit card number; you cannot change your fingerprints or the precise dimensions of your face," the privacy groups said in a joint statement. "Through facial recognition, these immutable, physical facts can be used to identify you, remotely and in secret, without any recourse."

The groups allege the business interests won't agree that companies should get consent before collecting facial recognition data. As a result, they don't believe the NTIA process will result in adequate protection for individuals.

"People simply do not expect companies they've never heard of to secretly track them using this powerful technology," Alvaro Bedoya, executive director of the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown University Law Center, told tech industry news site The Intercept. "Despite all of this, industry associations have pushed for a world where companies can use facial recognition on you whenever they want—no matter what you say." http://bit.ly/1MIcWRD

In addition to the Center, other groups leaving the task force are the Center for Democracy & Technology, Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Federation of America, Common Sense Media, Electronic Frontier Foundation, American Civil Liberties Union, Consumer Action and Consumer Watchdog.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau and NetChoice also are taking part in negotiations. A spokesman for NetChoice told CNN his group would continue to be involved in the process.

"The absence of some stakeholders from NTIA's process won't stop us from trying to create a workable code of conduct for facial recognition privacy," said Carl Szabo, policy counsel for NetChoice. http://bit.ly/1TqxYcN

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