Slashdot Mirror
Borders to Use CCTV Face Recognition
albanach writes: "This story at the Sunday Herald newspaper says Borders Bookshop is to become the world's first retailer to use face recognition software linked to their in-store CCTV cameras to automagically identify known shoplifters."
Huh? Do you really have a problem with Borders keeping an eye on (or denying entrance to) people who've shoplifted there before?! This "reformed criminal" stuff is nonsense - people who have stolen before are MUCH more likely to be those who steal again. If you don't want the embarassment of being asked to leave the store as a known shoplifter, then just don't steal stuff!
I think the only real problem here is the number of false positives, and how they are going to handle that - it'd be pretty bogus to be trailed by security guards just because you look like someone who is a thief.
Begin Sarcasm - This is another violation of our privacy and should not be tolerated. - End Sarcasm
Seriously, I'm sick and tired of stories like this. This is supposed to be "News for Nerds. Stuff that matters." but its turning into "Slashdot, where you can be paranoid about anything related to a camera/government/big company/etc".
If this stuff keeps up I'm outta here. I thought this is supposed to be a place for professionals and serious hobbiests to use rational thought to discuss topics in technology but it seems its becoming a breeding ground for paranoid anti-capitalist anarchists.
And I'm sorry if I'm mistaken and the submitter is simply interested in the technology behind this surveilance technique, but I feel that my post applies retroactively to numerous other story submissions in the past.
Next people will reply to this saying "well that kind of attitude will make our freedom disappear" but I don't know if you people noticed but security cameras have been around for years, they are nothing new, they've been used to help solve numerous crimes, and I still have my freedom.
And before you moderate this down, think about how hypocritical it is to mod down a message and yet be oh so passionate about freedom of speech. Are people only free to say things as long as its what you agree with?