Is facial recognition impeding our rights to freedom or keeping us safe? Can the data collected from cameras through major events and while shopping throughout major retailers keep us safe or is this a way for “big brother” to monitor us?
A facial recognition system is a computer application for automatically identifying a person from a digital image or a video frame from a video source. One of the ways to do this is by comparing selected facial features from the image and a facial database. A lot of companies have adapted this into their security systems. The problem is how effective is this technology to be used on the public in mass crowds or even to watch what stores people visit, so they can mark down or even up certain items directed at big spenders and repeat customers. Is this a violation of privacy or just people’s paranoia kicking in?
In article on webpronews.com by Chris Richardson discussing the use of such facial recognition software, he states that the applications for such software are naturally aimed at surveillance programs, ones that monitor a large number of people at a given time and it’s just for recognizing and storing faces. I believe that the technology is not yet perfected and that scares most people into thinking that they’re going to be wrongfully detained or that who they associate will get them in trouble. Since the latter can get you in trouble, you would no more have to worry than when you meet with these “sketchy” people without the facial recognition. Though these are valid points in an interview with Omron, one of the makers of such software, Ryoji Ohashi, Omron Sales Staff, “the scanner’s crime-fighting potential seems obvious but the technology is yet to be used for identifying criminals.” Some even worry about what stores might do if they know what you need in their stores, but if the stores no longer buy excessive products than this would cut down on waste for the store and town, but there is the chance that the store could mark up the prices but that’s nothing new. Either way I think about it I always find myself in the middle.
In an article by Lauren O’Neil on the how Facial Recognition service tracks shopping habits, Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, states that “Legally, stores have the right to put up security cameras, but the consumer expectation of privacy is being circumvented here, because when a consumer looks into that camera, they expect it’s being used for security, not marketing purposes.” This brings me back to my point on people being worried for no real reason other than paranoia. Even in Europe Facebook ended its use of the software and people in America hope our government will follow suit. This brings me back to the people we associate with and how we can be brought in to something we know nothing about, as stated in the same article as Europe Facebook ending its use of the facial recognition software one Scott Gaudette of Chicopee said, “if we get caught up in a picture and we have nothing to do with it, next thing you know we’re into stuff we shouldn’t be involved in.” In the end it comes down to whether or not they can perfect this technology until then it like Scott says, “It’s, you know, lack of privacy for us.”
Cited:
Chris Richards- www.webpronews.com
Lauren O’Neil- http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/11/facial-recognition-service-tracks-shopping-habits.html
Ryoji Ohashi- www.omron.com
Nicole Nalepa- http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/hampden/facebook-ending-use-of-facial-recognition-software-in-europe
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