Butte County Sheriff | Facial recognition
In response to a public records request about Clearview AI, the Sheriff's Office released two files whose titles are a purchase order, "PO-1620 & Attachment," and an approved "Exceptions to Solicitation Justification Form." We have not read the files.
At a glance
- Records request
- Submitted 2025-09-10; status completed [1]
- Files released
- "PO-1620 & Attachment"; "Clearview AI-Exceptions to Solicitation Justification Form-Approved" [1]
- Policy, training, search logs
- requested; the request page lists no such files among those released [1]
- Use, users, and dates
- not in any record we fetched
How it happened
- Context
Records request filed
A requester asked the office for all procurement records, agreements, training materials, policies, and search logs associated with Clearview AI facial recognition technology. [1]
What the record shows
A California Public Records Act request filed with the Sheriff’s Office on September 10, 2025 asked for “All procurement records associated with Clearview AI facial recognition technology,” all agreements, training materials, policies, and “Log of searches of the Clearview AI system since its adoption.” The request is marked completed, and the request page lists two released files: “PO-1620 & Attachment” and “Clearview AI-Exceptions to Solicitation Justification Form-Approved.”[1]
What is not established
We have not read the two files; they are on the county’s human retrieval list. Whether the office uses the system, who may use it, and under what policy are not in any record we fetched. The office’s military equipment inventory does not cover facial recognition.
Questions
- Does the Sheriff's Office use facial recognition?
- The office released a purchase order and an approved procurement justification form for Clearview AI in response to a records request. We have not read those files, and no record we fetched describes how or whether the system is used. [1]
- What did the request ask for that was not released?
- The request asked for agreements, training materials, policies, and a log of searches. The request page lists two released files, both procurement documents. [1]
What we do not know
- The contents of PO-1620 and the justification form, including cost, term, and what was bought.
- Any policy governing use, the users, and search logs.
What you can do
Show up
Systems like this one are approved by boards, councils and committees that meet in public. We have not yet confirmed where each of them meets in Butte County.
What we have documented in Butte County →Protect yourself
Practical steps to shrink your personal data trail. Our guides publish at launch; until then, EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense is the best starting point.
Surveillance Self-Defense →Sources
- 1. MuckRock, Butte County Sheriff - Facial Recognition, request filed by Dave Maass · Primary document · · accessed · archived copy
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