Taylor Swift uses facial recognition to ID stalkers at Rose Bowl concert
In the last few months, the United States and China have made waves by deploying facial recognition technology to speed up the airport screening process and catch criminals. And now another world superpower, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, is utilizing biometric solutions to fulfill her security needs.
During a May 18 concert at the Rose Bowl, Swift had a kiosk set up where attendees could view rehearsal footage from her “Reputation” tour. However, unbeknownst to the concertgoers, a facial recognition camera was hidden inside the kiosk. As the photos were taken, the images were being transmitted to a Nashville, Tennessee location where they were cross-referenced against photos of known Swift stalkers.
The Future of Security?
Although the Swift concert represents the first known incident where facial recognition tech was deployed in this manner in the U.S., it’s been used that way before in China with positive results.
In May, a wanted man named Ao attended a Jacky Cheung show along with 60,000 other Cantonese pop fans. However, as a facial recognition system called Xue Liang (Sharp Eyes) captured his image when he entered the Nanchang International Sports Center, he was arrested not long into the show. Biometrics is also being looked at as a possible solution to help with expediting admittance to major public events.
This year, Ticketmaster invested in a startup called Blink Identity with the intent to develop a game-changing facial recognition solution for turnstile check-in. Ideally, the software will allow ticketholders to be scanned and identified as they enter a venue in less than a second.
Along similar lines, the Transportation Security Authority (TSA) recently revealed plans to improve airport security and traveler experience via biometric scanning. If the plan is fully realized, within a decade, domestic fliers will verify their identities with a quick facial scan instead of presenting an approved ID.
The Perils of a Biometrically Secure Future
While biometric security has the potential to make various facets of public life safer and more efficient, the technology is not without its drawbacks.
As American Civil Liberties Union policy analyst Jay Stanley noted when the Swift concert news broke, using facial recognition tech on people without their knowledge or consent is ethically problematic. ”Stalkers are a real problem for celebrities and everybody understands it’s important for people like Taylor Swift to be safe from them,” said Stanley. “This was done in a relatively sneaky way.”
If the ACLU chooses to force the issue, Ticketmaster and the TSA might have to go to court before they can deploy facial recognition tech on a large scale. Moreover, as a Chinese facial recognition program recently incorrectly identified a respected CEO as a lawbreaker, companies and government organizations might run into serious legal trouble if they detain people who are falsely pegged as criminals.
In fact, an extraordinarily high rate of false positives in Wales led to calls to ban facial recognition technology in the United Kingdom.
Still, given its potential to revolutionize criminal identification on a global scale, it might not be long before the U.S. joins Taylor Swift in knowing if a person is trouble as soon as they walk in.
Originally published at www.theburnin.com on December 17, 2018.
