Facial recognition is here to stay. And we should all probably accept it

guest · Dec 3, 2018

Britain's data commissioner launches investigation into UK use of facial recognition
December 3, 2018
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technol...ssioner-launches-investigation-uk-use-facial/

The information watchdog has launched a formal investigation into the police use of facial recognition technology following trials across the country, The Daily Telegraph has learned.

Information commissioner Elizabeth Denham opened the inquiry after expressing “significant concern” over the legality and effectiveness of the technology, which was used at last year’s Notting Hill Carnival and Remembrance Sunday.
Earlier this year, Ms Denham threatened to launch legal action against the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs’ Council over concerns relating to the intrusive nature of the technology [...]
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guest · Dec 5, 2018

Secret Service will test facial recognition around the White House
It's not great news for privacy advocates
December 4, 2018
https://www.engadget.com/2018/12/04/secret-service-to-test-facial-recognition-white-house/

Like it or not, facial recognition is creeping into more public spaces. The US Secret Service has quietly started testing the technology in and around the White House grounds, including nearby parks and streets, to see if it can "biometrically confirm" the identities of volunteer Secret Service employees.

Not surprisingly, the ACLU has expressed many concerns about the pilot. On top of the basic worries about scanning people's faces (such as false positives), there's the question of who "subjects of interest" would be.
There's also the question of mission creep.

The Service hasn't said how the program might evolve beyond this, however, and BuzzFeed News noted that Congress hasn't clearly approved the use of facial recognition to ID American citizens. You might see a long legal fight ahead if the test leads to something farther-reaching.
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"Privacy Impact Assessment for the Facial Recognition Pilot" (PDF): https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/privacy-pia-usss-frp-november2018.pdf

guest · Dec 6, 2018

Facial recognition has to be regulated to protect the public, says AI report
December 6, 2018
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/...gulated-to-protect-the-public-says-ai-report/

A new report from the AI Now Institute (large PDF), an influential research institute based in New York, has just identified facial recognition as a key challenge for society and policymakers.

The report calls for the US government to take general steps to improve the regulation of this rapidly moving technology amid much debate over the privacy implications.
“The implementation of AI systems is expanding rapidly, without adequate governance, oversight, or accountability regimes,” it says.

And the document suggests that the public should be warned when facial-recognition systems are being used to track them, and that they should have the right to reject the use of such technology.
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"AI Now Report 2018" (PDF): https://ainowinstitute.org/AI_Now_2018_Report.pdf

guest · Dec 8, 2018

mood said: ↑

TSA outlines its plans for facial recognition on domestic flights
It hasn't really addressed privacy concerns
October 15, 2018
https://www.engadget.com/2018/10/15/tsa-facial-recognition-roadmap/
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TSA’s Roadmap for Airport Surveillance Moves in a Dangerous Direction
December 7, 2018
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/12/tsas-roadmap-airport-surveillance-moves-dangerous-direction

TSA PreCheck is Not a Blank Check
The roadmap proposes significant changes to what the government can do with data collected from more than 5 million people in the TSA PreCheck program.

Even more concerning, the roadmap outlines a strategy to capture biometrics from American travelers who haven’t enrolled in PreCheck and who never consented to any biometric data collection from TSA.
Device Security and National Security Are Not the Same
It states that “popular perceptions [of biometrics] have evolved to appreciate the convenience and security biometric solutions can offer in the commercial aviation sector.”

In other words, it claims that travelers using biometrics like fingerprints and facial recognition programs to unlock their phones and laptops, will be less concerned about Department of Homeland Security agencies collecting biometrics to store in government databases for unspecified, myriad uses.
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"TSA Biometrics Roadmap - For Aviation Security & the Passenger Experience" (PDF): https://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/tsa_biometrics_roadmap.pdf

guest · Dec 12, 2018

Taylor Swift tracked stalkers with facial recognition tech at her concert
December 12, 2018
https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/12...l-recognition-tech-concert-attendees-stalkers

Taylor Swift held a concert at California’s Rose Bowl this past May that was monitored by a facial recognition system. The system’s target? Hundreds of Swift’s stalkers.

Swift’s facial recognition system was built into a kiosk that displayed highlights of her rehearsals, which would secretly record onlookers’ faces. According to Rolling Stone, which spoke with a concert security expert who observed the kiosk, attendees who looked at the kiosk were immediately scanned. Afterward, the data was sent to a “command post” in Nashville, Tennessee that attempted to match hundreds of images to a database of her known stalkers.

US artists haven’t previously been publicized for using facial recognition tech at their concerts.
However, the legality of doing so is on the artist’s side: a concert is technically a private event, therefore event organizers can subject concert-goers to almost any kind of surveillance.
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Floyd 57 · Dec 13, 2018

mood said: ↑

the legality of doing so is on the artist’s side: a concert is technically a private event, therefore event organizers can subject concert-goers to almost any kind of surveillance.
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Yeah, but WITHOUT telling them they're gonna be scanned?

ronjor · Dec 13, 2018

We Broke Into A Bunch Of Android Phones With A 3D-Printed Head

Thomas Brewster Dec 13, 2018
If you're an Android customer, though, look away from your screen now. We tested four of the hottest handsets running Google's operating systems and Apple's iPhone to see how easy it'd be to break into them. We did it with a 3D-printed head. All of the Androids opened with the fake. Apple's phone, however, was impenetrable.
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ronjor · Dec 13, 2018

Google pledges to hold off on selling facial recognition technology

Mallory Locklear, @mallorylocklear 13 Dec 2018
The company says important policy questions need to be answered first.
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ronjor · Dec 14, 2018

ACLU’s warning: “Amazon is dreaming of a dangerous future” of surveillance

By Melissa Locker 12.13.18
The ACLU is sounding the alarm about a patent application from Amazon that would pair a face surveillance program with a doorbell camera. The patent application, which was made public recently, describes a product that would let police or homeowners match the faces of people walking by the doorbell camera with a photo database of persons they deem “suspicious.” If a match occurs, the suspicious person’s face can be automatically sent to law enforcement.
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guest · Dec 14, 2018

mood said: ↑

Taylor Swift tracked stalkers with facial recognition tech at her concert
December 12, 2018
https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/12...l-recognition-tech-concert-attendees-stalkers
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Were Taylor Swift fans tracked at her gig?
A major stadium in Los Angeles has confirmed that it uses facial recognition [...] to spot known troublemakers.
December 14, 2018
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-46567125

The Rose Bowl told news site Gizmodo that it used the tech "inside and outside" the stadium gates.
It made the statement after an article in Rolling Stone alleged that Taylor Swift fans were scanned at a pop concert in an effort to spot stalkers.

However, the companies involved have been reluctant to talk.

Rose Bowl [...] says the use of the tech is clearly signposted at events. However, it has not offered any clarity about the alleged Taylor Swift pop-up booth.
The BBC's Dave Lee has tried to contact Oak View Group and Taylor Swift's representatives, but neither has responded to his questions.
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guest · Dec 17, 2018

Central Londoners to be subjected to facial recognition test this week
Met Police: no worries—if you decline to be scanned, it won't be suspicious at all!
December 17, 2018
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...ting-facial-recognition-in-public-for-2-days/

This trial marks the seventh such trial in London since 2016. The Met has said in addition to the December 17-18 tests, there will be three more, which have yet to be scheduled.
In a statement, the Met noted that anyone who declines to be scanned "will not be viewed as suspicious by police officers."

Law enforcement in South Wales has also previously tested this technology, among other locales around the United Kingdom. Numerous tests in the United States have shown that this technology can be flawed, particularly when in use against non-white suspects.

Big Brother Watch, a pro-privacy group based in London, has decried the test.

Tomorrow, police will use live facial recognition in London, scanning everyone in view.
We're fighting this for all the people who don't want to be walking ID cards in a surveilled nation. [...] — Big Brother Watch (@bbw1984) December 16, 2018
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guest · Dec 27, 2018

Chinese Airbnb competitor rolls out facial recognition locks
December 27, 2018
https://mashable.com/article/china-home-share-facial-recognition-xiaozhu/

Sharing someone else's home is about to get even creepier.
The Chinese Airbnb competitor Xiaozhu is rolling out locks that open with facial recognition, according to the South China Morning Post. The locks are reportedly meant to address security concerns. But they will also assist the Chinese government in monitoring the comings and goings of travelers in China.

The facial recognition locks will be part of a pilot program. Approximately 80 percent of Xiaozhu's home shares in the Chinese city of Chengdu will get the new feature. That will come with security updates like smoke and gas detectors, too.
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guest · Jan 5, 2019

A New York City lawmaker is taking on companies that mine your face
It’s hard to know when and why face recognition is being used in New York City. Ritchie Torres wants to change that
January 4, 2019
https://www.fastcompany.com/90281673/nyc-face-recognition-law-ritchie-torres

Ritchie Torres was appalled. In March, the New York City Council Member learned from the New York Times that the iconic sports and entertainment arena Madison Square Garden [...] has used facial recognition software to scan the faces of spectators upon entrance.

In October, he introduced a bill that aims to bring a modicum of transparency to businesses’ use of the biometric technology, as well as iris and fingerprint scanning, by requiring businesses to conspicuously disclose the use of the technology at business entrances.

“We’re increasingly living in a marketplace where companies are collecting vast quantities of personal data without the public’s consent or knowledge,” he says.
“This facial recognition is an invisible and intangible intrusion–that’s what makes it more pernicious. Even more than that, you’re building a database of private information that can then be commercialized.”
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Minimalist · Jan 5, 2019

Facial recognition doesn't work as intended on 42 of 110 tested smartphones

A Dutch non-profit has tested 110 smartphone models and found that the facial recognition feature used for locking devices doesn't work as intended on 42 phones.
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https://www.zdnet.com/article/facia...-as-intended-on-42-of-110-tested-smartphones/

guest · Jan 7, 2019

Japan makes visitors pay for their biometric info to be collected
January 7, 2019
https://www.zdnet.com/article/japan-makes-visitors-pay-for-their-biometric-info-to-be-collected/

The Japanese government has introduced a new departure tax on passengers leaving the country by sea or air, with the proceeds to be used to fund the facial recognition systems in place at airports.
The 1,000-yen [Edit: ~9.2 USD] tax will be charged on plane and ship tickets, and will affect both Japanese and foreigners over two years old or those who are in transit with stays exceeding 24 hours.

Travellers' identities will be confirmed at a kiosk terminal and at an exit gate equipped with the facial recognition tech. A smartphone app will also be available, and is expected to speed up electronic baggage declaration by enabling travellers to register baggage contents and passport information.

Additional steps proposed for future trials include mobile check-in and automated border processing, which will allow passengers to use their face as their access identification.
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guest · Jan 8, 2019

Survey: Americans Warming to Use of Facial Recognition Tech
Americans do not favor strict limits on facial recognition technology, according to a new national survey
January 7, 2019
https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-te...cognition-tech/153987/?oref=ng-homepage-river

A growing number of Americans are OK with the facial recognition technology, especially if it increases public safety, according to a national survey released Monday.
Conducted on a national poll of 3,151 U.S. adults in December, the survey found only one in four Americans believe the federal government should strictly limit the use of facial biometrics technology.

The survey also indicates Americans are more likely to support any apparent tradeoff to their own privacy caused by facial recognition technology if it benefits law enforcement, reduces shoplifting or speeds up airport security lines.

“Perhaps most importantly, Americans have made it clear they do not want regulations that limit the use of facial recognition if it comes at the cost of public safety,” Castro said.
The findings indicate a potential shift in public thinking.
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ronjor · Jan 14, 2019

Second-gen facial recognition tech aims to improve biometric security

By James Sanders January 3, 2019
Facial recognition technology is getting a second look from solutions vendors, though legal frameworks for how biometrics are used are out of date.
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guest · Jan 16, 2019

Amazon, Google and Microsoft urged to stop flogging facial recognition tech to US gov
Rights groups warn tech will 'undermine public trust'
January 16, 2019
https://www.theinquirer.net/inquire...rosoft-pressured-over-facial-recognition-tech

A coalition of more than 85 civil and human rights groups have sent letters to Amazon, Google and Microsoft asking them not to flog facial recognition software to the US government.

ACLU, the National Lawyers Guild Chapters, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Freedom of the Press Foundation were amongst those groups that sent the letter.
The groups warned that placing this technology in the hands of the government "threatens the safety of community members and will also undermine public trust."
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ronjor · Jan 16, 2019

Facial recognition and AI could be used to identify rare genetic disorders

By James Vincent@jjvincent Jan 15, 2019
In two first tests, DeepGestalt was used to look for specific disorders: Cornelia de Lange syndrome and Angelman syndrome. Both of these are complex conditions that affect intellectual development and mobility. They also have distinct facial traits, like arched eyebrows that meet in the middle for Cornelia de Lange syndrome, and unusually fair skin and hair for Angelman syndrome.
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ronjor · Jan 18, 2019

Go Ahead, Post the Stupid Photo of Yourself From 10 Years Ago

Alexis C. Madrigal Jan 16, 2019
Do you want the good news or the bad news first?
Okay, bad news. Everything you do on the internet is tracked. Your information streams into massive databases that are then linked to one another. At least several companies have good models of your social networks, purchasing behavior, and, yes, your face. Your face 10 years ago and your face today.
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guest · Jan 21, 2019

Brazil's Original bank rolls out facial recognition technology
The feature allows account holders to validate information via mobile
January 21, 2019
https://www.zdnet.com/article/brazils-original-bank-rolls-out-facial-recognition-technology/

With the functionality, dubbed Liveness, customers will be able to perform operations by validating their information through their mobile phone.
The new tool is an addition to the call-back process for transaction verification. It allows validation of customer detail changes and transactions through basic and random movements requested by the application within the banking app.

"With Liveness, we will provide even more convenience and agility in the processes, and the service greatly increases the safety of operations," says Luiz Henrique Guimarães De Freitas, IT executive superintendent at Original.
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longshots · Jan 22, 2019

Is the 10-year challenge a boon to Facebook's facial recognition tech?
The 10-year challenge was all fun and memes until last week after a tweet moved thousands of people to worry: are we unknowingly helping giant corporations to improve their algorithms for biometric identification and age progression?
https://www.smh.com.au/technology/i...-facial-recognition-tech-20190122-p50stk.html

ronjor · Jan 25, 2019

MIT researchers: Amazon’s Rekognition shows gender and ethnic bias

Kyle Wiggers@Kyle_L_Wiggers January 24, 2019
Amazon’s facial analysis software distinguishes gender among certain ethnicities less accurately than do competing services from IBM and Microsoft. That’s the conclusion drawn by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers in a new study published today, which found that Rekognition, Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) object detection API, fails to reliably determine the sex of female and darker-skinned faces in specific scenarios.
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mirimir · Jan 25, 2019

This is a little silly, I think. I mean, when I'm driving at night, in areas without bright streetlights, I can't distinguish much about dark-skinned faces. Especially if they're wearing hoods. It's just basic physics. There's less reflected light, and less contrast. And, you know, it's not uncommon for commandos etc to wear ski masks to reduce visibility.

guest · Jan 27, 2019

ronjor said: ↑

MIT researchers: Amazon’s Rekognition shows gender and ethnic bias
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Updated article:

Updated 1/26 at 6:11 p.m. Pacific: Added additional statements from Dr. Wood published in a blog post on Amazon’s AWS blog.
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