Music Festivals Facing Pressure to Ban Facial Recognition From Venues

Music Festivals Facing Pressure to Ban Facial Recognition From Venues

Several festivals, including Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits, have said publicly that they are not currently using facial recognition at their events.

Major music festivals across the country are facing pressure to ban facial recognition systems from their events from a growing number of privacy rights organizations and artists.

Fight for the Future, a digital rights group, released an updated “scorecard” on Monday depicting which festivals in the U.S. have committed to not using facial recognition software on fans as part of their security operations. Several festivals, including Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits and Electric Forest, have said publicly that they do not have plans to use the technology at their events.

In a statement to Stereogum, a representative for Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits said that although they are not planning to use it, they have not offered a pledge to Fight for the Future.

Others did not respond to the group’s “repeated requests” for clarification on their practices regarding facial recognition. Those festivals include SXSW, Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival Pitchfork Music Festival and all events under the ownership of AEG Presents. Coachella said it was “not looking to add to this conversation at this time,” according to the organization.

Evan Greer, the deputy director of Fight for The Future, said in a press release that fans deserve to know whether their favorite festivals have plans to use the software.

“Festival organizers have a moral imperative to clearly commit to not using this invasive and racially biased technology on music fans,” Greer said, referencing research finding that facial recognition is less accurate for people of color and women. “They should never put our safety and basic rights at risk just to collect our data and turn it into profit.”

Music venues have shown more interest in the facial recognition market in recent years, with Ticketmaster investing in a company that aims to allow ticketholders to enter a concert without scanning anything. In a statement last week, Ticketmaster (which owns LiveNation) told Digital Music News it is not currently using facial recognition but left the door open for future implementations.

“Ticketmaster is always exploring new ways to enhance the fan experience, and while we do not currently have plans to deploy facial recognition technology at our ‘clients’ venues, rest assured, any future consideration would be strictly opt-in, always giving fans the right to choose,” the Live Nation spokesperson said.

Artists like Tom Morello, the guitarist of Rage Against the Machine and Prophets of Rage, have joined the campaign to make companies like Ticketmaster clarify their policies.

Greer of Fight for the Future said the campaign is calling on the entire music industry to stand against facial recognition due to concerns over mass collection of biometric information.

"We’re calling on all artists, venues, festivals, and promoters to stick up for their fans’ basic rights and safety by speaking out against the use of Big Brother style biometric surveillance at live music events,” Greer said.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Mall of America Deploys AI-Powered Analytics to Enhance Parking Intelligence

    Mall of America®, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, announced an expansion of its ongoing partnership with Axis Communications to deploy cutting-edge car-counting video analytics across more than a dozen locations. With this expansion, Mall of America (MOA) has boosted operational efficiency, improved safety and security, and enabled more informed decision-making around employee scheduling and streamlining transportation for large events. Read Now

  • Security Industry Association Launches New “askSIA” AI Tool

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has unveiled a brand-new SIA member benefit – askSIA, a conversational AI agent designed to help users get the most out of their SIA membership, easily access SIA resources and find the latest information on SIA’s training and courses, reports and publications, events, certification offerings and more. SIA members can easily find askSIA by visiting the SIA homepage or looking for the askSIA icon in the top left of webpages. Read Now

    • Industry Events
  • Industry Embraces Mobile Access, Biometrics and AI

    A combination of evolving workplace dynamics, technology innovation and new user expectations is changing how people enter and interact with physical spaces. Access control is at the heart of these changes. Combined with biometrics and AI, mobile access control has become increasingly crucial for deploying entry solutions that are seamless, secure and adaptive to user needs. Read Now

  • Sustainable Video Solution Delivered for Landmark City of London Office Development

    An advanced, end-to-end video solution from IDIS, with a focus on reducing waste and costs, has helped a major office development in the City of London align its security with sustainability objectives. Read Now

  • DHS to End ‘Shoes-Off’ Travel Policy

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced a new policy today which will allow passengers traveling through domestic airports to keep their shoes on while passing through security screening at TSA checkpoints. Read Now

New Products

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • 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.

  • 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.