Facial Recognition Kiosk at Taylor Swift Concert Brings Up Data Security and Privacy Issues

Facial Recognition Kiosk at Taylor Swift Concert Brings Up Data Security and Privacy Issues

Data security and privacy experts discuss the issues of facial recognition at Taylor Swift's May 18th concert.

Fans of Taylor Swift may have gotten a little more than they bargained for at her Los Angeles show this past May. Reports of a kiosk rolling clips of her concert rehearsal is said to have scanned the faces of those who stopped to watch and send them to a "command post" in Nashville. 

The kiosk was designed to use facial recognition to capture images of the faces that stopped to watch. From there the images were sent to Nashville where they were cross-referenced with a database of hundreds of Swift's known stalkers, according to Mike Downing, chief security officer at Oak View Group. 

"Everybody who went by would stop and stare at it, and the software would start working," Downing said in a Rolling Stone article. 

The news of the face scanning kiosk rose questions about data security and privacy at these events. I asked Paul Bischoff, a privacy advocate at Comparitech.com what he thought about the situation. What it boiled down to is: consent.  

”Concert goers did not consent to their photos being taken for this purpose, and they certainly weren't informed of what the images would be used for, who they would be shared with, or how long they'll be retained," Bischoff said. "We don't even know who the images actually belong to, so fans have little recourse if they want to complain or have their photo deleted."

Tyler Reguly, manager of security R&D at Tripwire, believes the security tool is an effective way to use cutting-edge technology to increase the likelihood of a more secure concert experience. 

"When you venture into an event like this, you give up your privacy," Reguly said. "Pretty much when you leave your home, you give up your privacy. While people may actively avoid the obvious security cameras, covert cameras in displays are a great way to monitor the crowd and that doesn’t really concern me. Safety is a priority at these events."

In the end, Reguly believes the security team at Swift's concert did a great job at enhancing security at the show with technology not as commonly used with the public yet.

"We’re so accustomed to 'in your face' security, like at the airport, that we forget that security can be more subtle and still be effective," Reguly said. "As someone who attends dozens of concerts each year, I welcome this technology at our local theatres, arenas, and concert halls."

While this is not the first, or last time, that we will likely see facial recognition software used at a concert venue, Bischoff recommends security companies be more transparent when implementing the software.

"Facial recognition technology has only started proliferating public life and it could have huge privacy implications, so businesses that use it in public settings need to tread carefully," Bischoff said. "That didn't happen at Taylor Swift's show.”

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

New Products

  • 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.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.