Thousands of people lined up outside Citi Field in Queens, New York, on Wednesday to watch the Mets face off with the Orioles. But outside the ticketing booth, a handful of protesters handed out flyers. They were there to protest a recent Major League Baseball program, one that’s increasingly common in professional sports: using facial recognition on fans.
Facial recognition companies and their customers argue that these systems save time, and therefore money, by shortening lines at stadium entrances. However, skeptics argue that the surveillance tools are never totally secure, make it easier for police to get information about fans, and fuel “mission creep” where surveillance technology becomes more common or even required.
The MLB’s facial recognition program, dubbed Go-Ahead Entry, lets participating fans go on a separate security line, usually shorter than the other queues. Fans download the MLB Ballpark app, submit a selfie, and have their face matched at an in-person camera kiosk at a stadium’s entrance.
Six MLB teams are participating in Go-Ahead Entry, including the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, and Washington Nationals.
Several Major League Baseball teams, like the Mets, have implemented their own facial recognition systems for faster entry processes. The Mets partnered with the facial recognition provider Wicket to initiate their Mets Entry Express service in 2021. Similarly, the Cleveland Guardians have adopted technology from the company Clear at Progressive Field since 2019.
Jeff Boehm, Wicket’s Chief Operating Officer, communicated to WIRED via email, ensuring that his company prioritizes “the responsible use of biometric technology to enhance event experiences” while maintaining a “serious commitment to data security and privacy.”
Boehm stated, “Despite prevalent misconceptions about the technology’s application, Wicket ensures a voluntary, opt-in approach where users have the freedom to opt out anytime. Importantly, we do not engage in unsolicited scanning of individuals’ faces nor do we sell or share the data with third parties.”
Neither the Mets nor Major League Baseball has provided immediate comments in response to WIRED’s inquiries.
The National Football League has started using Wicket facial recognition for express entry. NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy mentioned in an X post that this program is currently only for “team/game-day personnel, vendors, and media”—not fans. However, the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans have implemented facial recognition entry systems that fans can use. This has led to confusion on Facebook and X, with some thinking it’s mandatory for all 32 NFL teams at their stadiums.
At Citi Field on Wednesday, the Mets Entry Express Line saw minimal use, roughly five people every five minutes, with no waiting lines. In contrast, the main security lines, though longer, required only about five minutes.
Protesters at Citi Field were from 11 organizations that had signed an open letter opposed to the use of facial recognition at stadiums, including groups like Fight for the Future, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, and Amnesty International. They argued that “facial recognition poses unprecedented threats to privacy and safety, and is completely unnecessary.” On Wednesday, activists distributed flyers citing Go-Ahead Entry, boldly stating, “WE CALL FOUL ON FACIAL RECOGNITION AT SPORTING EVENTS.” This was not their first protest; Fight for the Future had organized a similar event previously at Citizens Bank Park.
Albert Fox Cahn, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project in New York, which also endorsed the letter, was involved in organizing the protest at Citi Field. He discusses the risks associated with systems like Go-Ahead Entry, particularly their potential misuse by law enforcement behind the scenes.
“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.
