Teen Sues Apple After Facial Recognition Leads To His False Arrest

If there is one thing that’s hard to dispute in terms of smartphone features, it would be the accuracy of Face ID which is found and used in Apple’s newer iPhones. Unfortunately, that accuracy did not apply to the system employed by Apple in a case involving a series of thefts in Apple Stores which unfortunately led to the false arrest of an 18-year old teen.

Apple had been experiencing a rash of thefts in its Apple Stores. The thief in question used the stolen credentials of Ousmane Bah, and because the credentials did not contain a photo ID, Apple programmed its stores’ facial recognition to associate the thief’s face with Bah’s information, thus leading to his arrest.

It was only after a detective examined the surveillance footage after the arrest did the authorities discover that the person committing the crimes was not the person they arrested. Plus Bah also had a legitimate excuse for at least one of the crimes, where he was attending his prom in Manhattan. Bah has since filed a lawsuit against Apple and is seeking $1 billion in damages.

According to the complaint filed against Apple, it said of Bah, “He was forced to respond to multiple false allegations which led to severe stress and hardship.” Apple has yet to officially comment on the lawsuit.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, General
Tags: Legal