• Could Portland’s Facial Recognition Ban Affect Airlines, or the Way Other Business Operate?
*By Natasha G. Kohne and Michelle A. Reed
INBOUND recently came across an article on lexology.com which could have considerable consequences for U.S. airlines and other businesses. Following is an excerpt from the article.
“The City Council of Portland, Oregon unanimously passed a ban on facial recognition, set to take effect in January 2021. The Portland ban is currently the strongest in the United States, preventing not only government agencies, but also private businesses from using facial recognition technology. The ban also applies to facial recognition used by airlines at airports. Starting in January, local government agencies, including the police, as well as stores and businesses, will be banned from using facial recognition technology.”
Read here the complete article by Kohne and Read, who are with the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, with its largest office in Washington, D.C. It is an American international law firm and the largest lobbying firm in the United States by revenue.
• Are Fees Beginning to Challenge Primacy of Commissions for Agents?
During the first couple of months of the coronavirus-driven global pandemic, some travel agents—hit with an onslaught of requests for refunds for canceled tour packages—began to charge set fees for the work they put in to business of counselling and making travel arrangements for their clients and customers. And now, there is evidence that the practice is spreading. Reporting on a Travel Weekly article on the topic, Jamie Biesiada tells us that a report from Harris Agency Reviews, indicated that, in total, 58 percent of respondents surveyed said they did not charge a fee before the virus crisis. Of those agents, 60 percent said they were planning to start charging a fee in the next six months. (You can read the entire article here.)
