Facial recognition once seemed like futuristic technology, but in the modern world, both public and private sectors use it. You may enjoy using facial recognition software to open your phone in order to increase protection for your data. However, the use of facial recognition technology by Tennessee law enforcement officials presents concerns about privacy and ethical usage.
Live facial recognition is banned in certain cities
Live facial recognition is an advanced technology in which images are streamed in real-time and compared to a watchlist. The watchlist contains offenders already wanted by law enforcement. For criminal defense advocates, the ability to identify a potential suspect before any investigation or search warrant has taken place raises concern about violations of the suspect’s constitutionally protected rights. Certain cities ban the use of live facial recognition, including Cambridge, Massachusetts and San Francisco, California.
Facial recognition technology’s accuracy varies
Law enforcement agencies appreciate and use facial recognition because they believe it is accurate. In a perfect setting, facial recognition technology scores up to 99.97 percent accuracy. But in these settings, the lighting and positions are consistent. In the real world, facial recognition does not work that way. In real-world environments, the accuracy rates for facial recognition software falls as low as 40 percent.
Databases assist white collar crimes
When law enforcement officials gather innocent people’s personal information into an easy-to-use database, white-collar criminals can easily gain access to the information. Criminals use databases to commit identity theft and fraud. These databases contain valuable information, such as:
• Debt account information
• Credit card information
• Addresses
• Date of birth
• Social Security number
Future uses of the software may cause greater violations
As technology continues to improve and evolve, the push to use facial recognition technology will likely grow. Other technologies will likely be used along with facial recognition. The public must remain vigilant about the potential violations of privacy, laws and ethics that facial recognition poses.
