“Face recognition technology gives governments the unprecedented power to spy on us wherever we go. It fuels police abuse,” said Nicole Ozer, technology and civil liberties director of the ACLU of Northern California, responding to Amazon’s announcement. “This surveillance technology must be stopped.”

Amazon said it has advocated for governments to put in place “stronger regulations to govern the ethical use of facial recognition technology,” noting that Congress “appears to be ready to take on this challenge.”

“We hope this one-year moratorium might give Congress enough time to implement appropriate rules, and we stand ready to help if requested,” the company said.