The emergence of cutting-edge technology has significantly transformed the approach to everyday tasks in Illinois. Facial recognition technology system identifies individuals using their unique facial features. However, as convenient as it is, facial recognition has its share of controversies.
How is the performance of facial recognition technologies assessed?
The two major tests of any authentication system are security and accuracy. With facial recognition, there has been a notable improvement in authentication accuracy levels. However, Misuse of face recognition technology (FRT) by the government can lead to wrongful arrests and harm to individuals.
The Federal National Institute of Standards and Technology is the most common body for testing FRT systems. One of the criteria they use is searching for a similar face in their large “matching database” of faces. This is also the criteria the police use in criminal defense when trying to create a given face. While these assessments are effective, they have uncovered substantial racial inequalities.
Facial recognition problems
Although FRT is common in many industries, it has also faced some skepticism. Some of the concerns raised include:
Privacy
The ability to track and identify an individual’s whereabouts is the key contributor to privacy issues of these systems. This may lead to an invasion of rights as it tracks individuals down wherever they go. There have also been some cases of data breaches with such technology.
Identification errors
In some instances, FRT doesn’t work as it should. Low image quality and poor lighting can negatively impact Facial Recognition Systems. Obscured camera angles can cause a mismatch in the data and the person’s nodal points.
Misuse of data
Although FRT has been around for decades, there’s still a challenge to the ethical use of available data. The technology features in video footage recorded in private and public spaces. Regardless of the reasons behind it, this act is also viewed as an invasion of privacy. This is because, when data breaches occur, many organizations lack accountability.
Although Facial recognition technology significantly improves operational efficiency, it also faces challenges. Its privacy and accuracy risks highlight the need for strict regulations and oversight. Ensuring ethical use and protecting rights are key to fully leveraging this technology.