Face recognition technology is a very hot topic all around the world. However, some people still think that this technology is something unrealistic and are not aware that it is already being implemented around the world. CCTV cameras and monitoring are present everywhere and can be updated. Then the introduction of face recognition will be possible on a massive scale leading to mass biometric surveillance. The technology is already being deployed by law enforcement and private entities in many locations, including schools and train stations.
Already today, Germany plans to introduce biometric surveillance systems at 134 railroad stations and 14 airports. Authorities in Italy and Serbia are also slowly introducing such applications.
The data collected during such identification will be able to be used for various purposes. Initially, they are used by law enforcement agencies to facilitate police investigations, but in the future, they could be used for other purposes, such as recruiting for jobs or assigning credit.
Facial recognition technology can obviously bring a lot of benefits and make our daily activities easier. For example, the introduction of this technology at four train stations in Osaka has made travel much easier. Now people pass gates that scan their faces without removing their passports or tickets.
However, facial recognition technology carries many risks. Data about where we are, at what time, legally belongs to us, so we have a right to know when and for what purpose such information is collected. However, once they are recorded by cameras, we can no longer control this.
The number of problems that the development of this technology can bring is enormous. It can exacerbate social inequality, for example. Confirmation of this can be the fact that in Italy the database of police face recognition software contained only 2 million pictures of Italians while storing as many as 7 million pictures of refugees and migrants.
Moreover, with the help of this technology, government authorities can easily identify participants in strikes. This can lead to a reluctance to participate in such demonstrations due to fear of losing one’s job, for example.
Resources:
https://www.liberties.eu/pl/stories/korzysci-i-zagrozenia-rozpoznawania-twarzy/43708
I enjoyed reading your work I think you wrote in a very clear and understandable way. The whole concept of being constantly tracked scares me slightly, but as you presented in your work, the is no way of stopping this process. Great job on presenting facts and two sides of one coin.
Very nice topic and the article! For me it’s an amazing how technology is developing, but this kind of things scare me a bit. We are losing our privacy, unfortunately…
i do agree that it is scary how in the wrong hands such data would be really dangerous. however it can be a very convenient technology. it’s sad how because of wrong use of such data we can’t progress in this field.