Thousands of people lined up outside Citi Field in Queens, New York, on Wednesday to watch the Mets face off with the Orioles. Alongside those lined up at the ticketing booth, a small group of protesters distributed flyers. Their protest was aimed at a recent initiative by Major League Baseball, a program becoming increasingly prevalent in professional sports: implementing facial recognition technology for scanning fans.
Proponents of facial recognition technology argue that it streamlines entry processes, saving time and money by reducing bottlenecks at stadium gates. However, critics believe these surveillance tools are not completely secure, facilitate easier access for police to acquire information about attendees, and contribute to “mission creep,” a scenario where the use of surveillance technology expands and potentially becomes mandatory.
The facial recognition initiative by MLB, known as Go-Ahead Entry, allows enrolled fans to use a special security line that generally moves faster than standard lines. Fans need to download the MLB Ballpark app, upload a selfie, and subsequently have their facial data verified against a camera kiosk at the stadium’s entrance.
Currently, six MLB teams are involved in the Go-Ahead Entry program, including the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, and Washington Nationals.
Several Major League Baseball teams, such as the Mets, have implemented facial recognition systems, including a program by the Mets called Mets Entry Express, which started in 2021 and is managed by the company Wicket. Another team, the Cleveland Guardians, have adopted a similar approach at their home, Progressive Field, using technology designed by Clear since 2019.
Jeff Boehm, the COO of Wicket, communicated to WIRED via email, expressing that the company is dedicated to using biometric technology responsibly to enhance event experiences while taking data security and privacy seriously.
Boehm further explained: “There are misconceptions circulating about how the technology is utilized. It is important to note that Wicket’s technology is used strictly on an opt-in basis; moreover, individuals have the option to opt-out whenever they choose. We do not scan faces without explicit consent, and the data gathered is neither shared nor sold to third parties.”
The Mets and MLB did not provide immediate responses to inquiries from WIRED on the issue.
The National Football League has started implementing Wicket facial recognition technology for expedited entry. Brian McCarthy, an NFL spokesperson, mentioned on an X post that this technology is currently intended only for team/game-day personnel, vendors, and media, but not for fans. However, teams like the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans have already introduced facial recognition for fan entries. This has led to misunderstandings on platforms like Facebook and X, where some users assumed facial recognition technology would be mandatory at all NFL stadiums.
On a related note at Citi Field, the Mets Entry Express Line saw minimal use, attracting about five people every five minutes, with barely any line, while traditional security checks took roughly the same time but with longer lines.
At the same venue, demonstrators from 11 organizations, including prominent groups such as Fight for the Future, Electronic Privacy Information Center, and Amnesty International, voiced their opposition through an open letter against the deployment of facial recognition systems at stadiums. They distributed flyers criticizing the Go-Ahead Entry system and highlighted privacy and safety risks associated with facial recognition at sports events. This protest wasn’t the first of its kind, as previous demonstrations took place at Citizens Bank Park, focusing on similar issues, led by advocacy groups like Fight for the Future who previously protested against facial recognition at the Phillies’ home stadium.
Albert Fox Cahn, executive director of the New York-based Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, which co-signed the aforementioned letter, played a significant role in organizing the protest at Citi Field. He expressed concerns about the potential misuse of such systems by law enforcement away from public scrutiny.
“The sad truth is that all of these private-sector facial recognition systems are just one phone call or court order away from being turned into a policing tool,” Cahn says. He adds that there are ways to speed up lines that don’t involve facial recognition, such as tickets that use RFID or Bluetooth to “tap” for entry.
Facial recognition has also been used at venues to ban people who may be considered business adversaries. Radio City Music Hall, owned by MSG Entertainment, used facial recognition to bar a lawyer from attending the Christmas Spectacular with her daughter in 2022 because her law firm was engaged in litigation with MSG Entertainment. Other lawyers banned from MSG Entertainment properties, including Madison Square Garden, sued the company over its use of facial recognition, but the case was ultimately dismissed in May.
David Siffert, the legal director at Stop, who attended Wednesday’s protest, tells WIRED that many of the people outside Citi Field were receptive to their message. “Most people had no idea this was going on,” Siffert says. No one was confrontational, he says, or openly expressing disagreement. Their worst situation was a case of confusion.
“A couple people were annoyed because they thought we were advertising for the system,” Siffert adds. “And when we said we were trying to get the system banned, they got really excited and picked a flyer.”
Updated August 21, 2024, 4:05 pm EDT, to correct name of the Cleveland baseball team and its home ballpark.
Updated August 21, 2024, 4:40 pm EDT, to add comment from Wicket.
