Signal 4: Facial Recognition, Crowd Surveillance, and Smart Policing
Amazon’s controversial Rekognition software has entered its second phase of pilot testing in the city of Orlando, despite criticism from both watchdog groups and internally within Amazon. Designed to identify “violent criminals” and “maintain crowd control during major events”, Rekognition is a classic case of technology that is only effective and safe until it isn’t. Back in May, the ACLU released an open letter to Amazon Founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, stating that “Amazon Rekognition is primed for abuse in the hands of governments.”
Like any other controversial (and inevitable) new technology, the natural first response is to regulate it with transparency. However, according to an anonymous op-ed written by an Amazon employee, “law enforcement has already started using facial recognition with virtually no public oversight or debate or restrictions on use from Amazon.” Even in a country with resilient democratic safeguards built into its legal system, it is still far too easy to quietly change the parameters of a tool like Rekognition in ways that run counter to constitutional values, like targeting non-violent political dissidents or undocumented residents who were brought into country as young children.
Simply saying “no” to the use of facial recognition software in policing is not a viable option, but accepting it doesn’t have to mean resigning ourselves to a future of Big-Brother surveillance. Other attempts to introduce smart policing have proven successful in Chicago, which used predictive technology to reduce shootings by 28% and did so in a way that included community groups and civilian data scientists. A similar inclusive approach could be exactly what Amazon’s Rekognition software needs to remain ethical.
Works Cited:
Employee, A. A. (2018, October 16). I’m an Amazon Employee. My Company Shouldn’t Sell Facial Recognition Tech to Police. Retrieved from Medium: https://medium.com/s/powertrip/im-an-amazon-employee-my-company-shouldn-t-sell-facial-recognition-tech-to-police-36b5fde934ac
Plautz, J. (2018, October 23). Controversial Amazon Facial Recognition Software gets 2nd Orlando Pilot. Retrieved from Smart Cities Dive: https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/controversial-amazon-facial-recognition-software-gets-2nd-orlando-pilot/540309/
