Facial recognition technology (FRT) is a biometric system that can identify or verify a person's identity from a digital image or a video source. It has many applications in various fields, such as security, law enforcement, verifying online transactions and financial fraud, health care, education, and entertainment. However, facial recognition also poses significant challenges to the data privacy of people, as it can collect, store, and share sensitive personal information without their consent or awareness. For example, communities of color are more likely to be subjected to surveillance and discrimination by law enforcement and private entities.
In this blog post, we will discuss some of the benefits and risks of facial recognition for security and protection, and how it affects the data privacy of people. We will also suggest some possible options to balance the trade-off between security and privacy, and to protect the rights and interests of people in the digital age.
How does FRT work?
FRT typically involves three steps: capturing, analyzing, and matching facial images. First, a camera or a sensor captures an image or a video of a person's face, either in real time or from a stored source. Second, a software analyzes the image and extracts facial features, such as the distance between the eyes, the shape of the nose, or the angle of the jaw. These features are then converted into a numerical representation called a faceprint, which is unique to an individual. Third, the faceprint is compared to a database of known faces, such as mugshots, driver's licenses, or social media profiles, to find a match or a similarity score.