Just reading Sunday Times and there’s an article “Surveillance state is being built now, watchdogs warn”
The gist of this is that, in the absence of legislation disallowing it, an estimated 10m images are already on databases in the UK and these are now searchable using facial recognition software.
Civil liberties groups will doubtless be up in arms about this, but what do you think?
Myself, I would have no problem with this at all.
I couldn’t care less.
Everybody harks back to the good old days of friendly local policing. When the foot-bobby on the beat knew all the shopkeepers and half the residents of his patch. So he would see you going here and there and know you by name. Did anyone think this was intrusive or did they not just think they were lucky to live in such a well-policed society?
It certainly does not bother me at all provided it is unobtrusive and used for proper purposes - but that is where the risk lies!
Whilst I doubt that the UK would go to such lengths, I saw a documentary recently on China and an article where it was described how facial recognition is used there, amongst other purposes, to build a personal “credit rating”:
“The Chinese government has built up a data-driven social credit system which automatically generates ratings for each Chinese citizen, business and authority based on whether the government and their fellow citizens consider them trustworthy.”
The banking credit system already uses a scoring method to determine one’s credit worthiness, but a personal credit score based on monitored behaviour patterns takes this to new heights. Your rating in this sense, when taken to the extreme could affect, for example, your prospects in a job application, permitted residence areas, travel restrictions, etc - depends how far one’s imagination of a police state can go!
Likely? I don’t think so. Possible? definitely!
Its already been trialed in London.
The thing most likely to hold back its full introduction in the UK is it could be a big vote-loser for whoever brings it in.
I actually think the Chinese may have a decent idea there. Instead of just using the stick to encourage people to adhere to the law and sociable behaviour, they are also preferring the carrot. Reward good behaviour as well as punishing bad, seems reasonable.
But what if (when) the carrot becomes a form of blackmail, forcing one to behave in a certain manner prescribed by the state or to lose out on one’s opportunities? In which case job prospects, for example, become a privilege rather than a meritocracy - and, of course, when one’s future lies in the hands of those that control such a state system then corruption is only a short step away?
How does one control the control?
I think that depends on just exactly WHO decides n what is “Good and Bad” - we’re already seeing “Groogle” and Facebuut intending to interfere anashamedly in National Elections - and the chinese model seems to be very unfair to some specific sections of their society !
Yip. I saw a similar program the other day (could even have been on Bloomberg actually) where this stuff is being trialed for job interviews. I think that’s where it now starts getting dodgy. And also saw a documentary the other day where some totally innocent dude was arrested based on this technology. But alright: as it turned out the same surveillance on that day ended up nailing a bad guy.
Yep, the Met are still doing it quite openly:
https://www.met.police.uk/live-facial-recognition-trial/
But of course places such a Cardiff wouldn’t do that sort of thing… or would they?
But it’s not so new:
Facial recognition was introduced on the Police National Database (PND), which includes around 13 million faces, in 2014.(BBC News)
And it never goes wrong…so why cover your face?
police stop people for covering their faces from facial recognition camera then fine man £90 after he protested
The charge was for being disorderly - being orderly is to obey.
Man ordered to uncover face in front of police camera and then fined £90 was how the Mirror reported it.
And a strange story of how ‘facial technology’ and policing had it’s early days in UK thinking.
It was back in the NI troubles - soldiers were shown images of ‘bad’ guys and they had to memorize them - not so easy with all the baddies having long hair in the 70’s.
“I got up and walked towards them with my hands up, and they repeatedly knocked me down with the jet from the hose. Finally, some soldiers grabbed me and put me up against a wall, where they photographed me, and then arrested me, charging me with obstructed Her Majesty’s forces.”
He had been doused with a purple dye and the one thing that shone most when he was stood against that wall - the silver pen still in his breast pocket - he was a Nobel Peace person.
I remember crossing a bridge in my home city, the look of recognition in the soldier’s eyes, his quick run with rifle raised - then ‘sorry mate, thought I knew you’.
I think it is a great technology. We should use it for pattern recognition and use it for trading.
How can we do that?
Saw this article on BBC. There are some interesting points there:
Had to smile at the “muffin or chihuahua” photos.
Good article, though. I hadn’t realised how widespread FR already is
Nor had I realised it either. It was quite a surprise! I am used to the airport automated passport control with facial recognition but that is about all. Personally, with the way the world is moving, I am all for it even if there are some hiccups and mishaps along the way - provided no-one gets hurt by mistake!
And then we have this:
“And now FR is being used by the military as well, with tech vendors claiming their software can not only identify potential enemies but also discern suspicious behaviour.”
Yes, I liked the muffins case. I hope no one got bitten by a muffin instead of the other way round!! 