The NFL is in some hot water legally over its handling of its popular Sunday subscription service, “Sunday Ticket.”

Specifically, a jury of eight recently found that the league broke antitrust laws by selling Sunday Ticket only on DirecTV, plus at an unnecessarily high price.

The jury came to this conclusion by surmising that offering the service on only one provider and with an inflated price limited the number of subscribers and appealed to CBS’s and Fox’s concerns regarding preserving local ratings. Plus, the jury concluded this subscription model enabled the NFL – a multi-billion dollar industry – to get richer. 

Subsequently, the NFL is currently on the hook for a staggering $4.8 billion in damages, with $4.696 billion set to go to the residential class and another approximate $97 million headed to the commercial class (i.e. bars, hotels and restaurants). Additionally, under antitrust law, that $4.696 billion figure gets tripled, equating to $14.088 billion in damages.

So, what does all this mean for the Lions and the rest of the NFL’s 32 franchises? Per ProFootballTalk, it means that each team will have to pay $440.25 million in damages – nearly $200M more than this year’s salary cap ($255.4M per team). 

“We are disappointed with the jury’s verdict today in the NFL Sunday Ticket class action lawsuit. We continue to believe that our media distribution strategy, which features all NFL games broadcast on free over-the-air television in the markets of the participating teams and national distribution of our most popular games, supplemented by many additional choices including RedZone, Sunday Ticket and NFL+, is by far the most fan friendly distribution model in all of sports and entertainment,” the league said of the ruling.

“We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit. We thank the jury for their time and service and for the guidance and oversight from Judge [Philip] Gutierrez throughout the trial.”

The NFL is presently appealing the decision.

Many individuals arrested and charged based on facial recognition scan results often feel compelled to plead guilty, especially if they have a criminal record. This situation can lead to longer sentences and increased scrutiny from law enforcement and prosecutors, contrasting with the case of Robert Williams in Detroit City.

Detroit’s recent $300,000 settlement with Williams raises broader concerns about how facial technology is used to solve crimes. It underscores increasing worries about privacy rights and the importance of establishing protections as technology advances.

Robert Williams Sued the Detroit Police Department After being Mistakenly Identified as Theft Suspect

Detroit has agreed to pay $300,000 to Robert Williams, who was wrongly accused of theft due to flawed facial recognition technology. Williams sued the Detroit Police Department after he was wrongfully arrested in front of his family and jailed for 30 hours in 2020,

The case was dismissed on Friday when the settlement between Williams and the city was filed in federal court. As part of the lawsuit settlement, the Detroit Police Department will also have to change its policies on how police will utilize this technology to prevent future misidentifications. 

The Associated Press reported that Williams, whose driver’s license photo was wrongly flagged as a match to a suspect in a 2018 shoplifting case at a Shinola store, expressed relief at the settlement.

In a press briefing on Friday, Williams expressed optimism that the new safeguards would improve the facial recognition technology and photo lineup policies. However, he preferred that the police would not use the technology.

The settlement, announced by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at the University of Michigan Law School, highlighted persistent concerns regarding the technology’s imperfections and its disproportionate impact on Black individuals, such as Williams.

According to the ACLU, Detroit police have agreed to new restrictions barring arrests solely based on facial recognition outcomes. The policy also prohibits arrests based on photo lineups derived from facial recognition searches. 

ACLU attorney Phil Mayor said police could use facial technology to generate leads and then conduct traditional investigative procedures to determine whether the identified person committed a crime before making an arrest.

Read Also: China Proposes Measures for Facial Recognition Use, Demands ‘Individual Consent’

Policy Reforms of the Detroit Police Department

In August, Chief of the Detroit Police Department James White introduced new policies on facial technology amid ongoing litigation, prompted by an incident where a pregnant woman was mistakenly charged with carjacking.

At the time, White emphasized that police must have additional evidence beyond facial recognition technology to establish a suspect’s capability, opportunity, and intent to commit a crime. 

Under the terms of the agreement with Williams, Detroit police will review cases involving facial recognition use from 2017 to 2023. They will notify prosecutors if investigations reveal that arrests were made without corroborating evidence.

As Detroit grapples with the aftermath of settling with Robert Williams, the effects extend beyond the city’s borders. This agreement signals a move towards accountability and changes in how facial recognition technology is used, highlighting the need to balance innovation with civil rights. 

Using this technology responsibly to pursue justice is crucial to prevent harm to individuals like Williams and promote fairness in communities.

Related Article: Meta Hit by a Lawsuit in Texas Due to its Facial Recognition Technology, Allegedly Violated the Users Privacy

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