At a time of growing concern about facial recognition systems and facial data and the potential uses and misuses, a story in New York Magazine suggests that such concerns may be too little too late. Facial recognition technology is now in widespread use by the tech giants, governmental agencies at all levels, local businesses, and even individuals. Moreover, the technology and the databases can move from one entity to another with increasing ease. Perhaps most striking, as the piece highlights, there are only a few locales where facial recognition is regulated to any degree, and it is unclear if such regulation can have a meaningful impact.
Advocates of facial recognition point to its value to law enforcement and protection against terrorist attacks while opponents note its lower accuracy in recognizing minority faces. It is true that the technology and the growing databases allow for preventive measures to ensure public safety and that the accuracy has and will continue to improve. The bigger question seems to be how comfortable we might be living in a society where control of one’s facial data is in the hands of powerful entities that may or may not always operate in our best interests.
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