Is Facial Recognition Being Used Correctly?

Is Facial Recognition Being Used Correctly?

Sometimes it’s hard to put a name with a familiar face, but Dr. Atick, a pioneer in the biometric industry, specializing in facial recognition, helped ensure that a face could never be forgotten. After investing in biometric technology in the early 90’s, he later sold his company, L-1 Identity, to a French military contractor for millions. Atick has spent his entire career promoting and profiting from this industry, but now, he’s worried about what he’s seeing taking place with this technology.

Walking around a biometrics security industry tradeshow as one of the organizers, Dr. Atick greeted industry representatives at their exhibit booths, but internally, he was pondering:

  • Do these companies have policies for retaining, using and reusing the facial data that they are capturing?
  • Is it possible for these companies to identify people without their consent?
  • Were these companies running face-matching queries for government agencies “under the radar?”

The concern is that facial recognition technology could be taken too far, allowing for mass surveillance where everyone is robbed of their anonymity. Dr. Atick realizes that we are all tracked online, but the street should remain a haven, where people carry out their daily lives in public without being exploited. This type of exploitation could go so far as to impede people’s normal behavior outside of their homes.

Because of this, Dr. Atick is on a mission to educate and convince this industry to create guidelines to make sure no one’s civil liberties are infringed upon. To do this, he suggests that companies:

  • Post public notices where they are using facial recognition;
  • Seek permission from a person before getting a faceprint and linking it to their name or a code number that uniquely identifies the individual; and
  • Use faceprints for the specific purposes they received permission for.

“Some people believe that I am inhibiting the industry from growing, said Dr. Atick to the New York Times. “I disagree. I am helping the industry make difficult choices, but the right choices.”

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • Data Driven, Proactive Response

    As cities face rising demands for smarter policing and faster emergency response, Real Time Crime Centers (RTCCs) are emerging as essential hubs for data-driven public safety. In this interview, two experts with deep field experience — Ross Bourgeois of New Orleans and Dean Cunningham of Axis Communications — draw on decades of operational, leadership and technology expertise to share how RTCCs are transforming public safety through innovation, interagency collaboration and a relentless focus on community impact. Read Now

  • Integration Imagination: The Future of Connected Operations

    Security teams that collaborate cross-functionally and apply imagination and creativity to envision and design their ideal integrated ecosystem will have the biggest upside to corporate security and operational benefits. Read Now

  • Smarter Access Starts with Flexibility

    Today’s workplaces are undergoing a rapid evolution, driven by hybrid work models, emerging smart technologies, and flexible work schedules. To keep pace with growing workplace demands, buildings are becoming more dynamic – capable of adapting to how people move, work, and interact in real-time. Read Now

  • Trends Keeping an Eye on Business Decisions

    Today, AI continues to transform the way data is used to make important business decisions. AI and the cloud together are redefining how video surveillance systems are being used to simulate human intelligence by combining data analysis, prediction, and process automation with minimal human intervention. Many organizations are upgrading their surveillance systems to reap the benefits of technologies like AI and cloud applications. Read Now

  • The Future is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reason. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. But as the number of cameras grows and resolutions push from HD to 4K and beyond, the cloud’s limits are becoming unavoidable. Bandwidth bottlenecks. Latency lags. Rising storage costs. These are not abstract concerns. Read Now

New Products

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.