Amazon has banned U.S. police from using its facial recognition software for a year, the BBC reports, following pressure from civil rights groups who claim that the software could be used to target black people.
IBM has also announced that it will stop offering its facial recognition software for "mass surveillance or racial profiling."
Amazon said the move was designed to give U.S. lawmakers enough time to enact legislation to regulate how the technology is employed.
"We've advocated that governments should put in place stronger regulations to govern the ethical use of facial recognition technology, and in recent days, Congress appears ready to take on this challenge," Amazon said in a statement.
"We hope this one-year moratorium might give Congress enough time to implement appropriate rules, and we stand ready to help if requested."