Do We Need Facial Recognition Technology?

The smart city has the potential to improve and completely revolutionize every urban citizen’s life. The smart city also has the potential to quash any sort of perceived privacy urban citizens may hold.

Hoping to avoid a dystopian future city, a proposed facial recognition ban is moving its way through San Francisco city government. The ban would prevent city agencies from using any facial recognition software, as well as institute a rigorous audit of other surveillance tech on the market.

As data has made its way into our lives and big data into nearly every facet of the private and public sector, the debate over one’s right to their own information is front and center. The collection of data from facial recognition technology can have numerous benefits from improved way finding to worrying less about one’s card or ID. However, in the past decade, law enforcement has ventured into this world with very mixed results.

Ranging from body-cameras and 24/7 street cameras in Newark to massive “gang” databases in Cook County, Illinois, the slope from improved safety to suffocating surveillance is a slippery one. Facial recognition technology, and data algorithms in general, is notoriously racially biased and can lead to incorrect data collection and surveillance.

San Francisco advocating for a complete ban on facial recognition technologies in their city agencies is a step in the right direction. A connected and intelligent city is an incredibly exciting prospect but the consequences of hasty implementation and lax regulation can quickly quell any advantages.

Sources:

Barber, Gregory. “San Francisco Could Be First to Ban Facial Recognition Tech.” Wired. 31 Jan. 2019. Conde Nast. 28 Feb. 2019 <https://www.wired.com/story/san-francisco-could-be-first-ban-facial-recognition-tech/>.

Dumke, Mick. “Cook County Takes Steps to Erase Its Regional Gang Database.” ProPublica. 20 Feb. 2019. ProPublica. 27 Feb. 2019 <https://www.propublica.org/article/cook-county-sheriffs-office-database-new-ban-law?utm_source=The%2BAppeal&utm_campaign=497fe9f054-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_08_09_04_14_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_72df992d84-497fe9f054-58420703>.

Rojas, Rick. “In Newark, Police Cameras, and the Internet, Watch You.” The New York Times. 09 June 2018. The New York Times. 28 Feb. 2019 <https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/09/nyregion/newark-surveillance-cameras-police.html>.

For Image:

Duckett, Chris. “Please run Australia’s facial recognition surveillance system on the ATO SAN.” ZDNet. 05 Oct. 2017. ZDNet. 28 Feb. 2019 <https://www.zdnet.com/article/please-run-australias-facial-recognition-surveillance-system-on-the-ato-san/>.