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Face Recognition Tech Pushes Legal Boundaries

Posted by Soulskill on from the how-else-will-the-cyborgs-find-john-connor dept.

An anonymous reader writes: As face recognition software becomes more capable, companies and governments are coming up with new ways to use it. Microsoft has already patented a Minority Report-style personalized billboard, and loss prevention departments in big stores are rolling out systems to "pre-identify" shoplifters. But this rush to implement the technology runs afoul of privacy laws in at least two U.S. states: Illinois and Texas forbid the use of face recognition software without "informed consent" from the target. Facebook is the target of a recent lawsuit in Illinois over this exact issue; it's likely to test the strength of such a law. "Facebook and Google use facial recognition to detect when a user appears in a photograph and to suggest that he or she be tagged. Facebook calls this "Tag Suggestions" ... With the boom in personalized advertising technology, a facial recognition database of its users is likely very, very valuable to Facebook. ... Eager to extract that value, Facebook signed users up by default when it introduced Tag Suggestions in 2011. This meant that Facebook calculated faceprints for every user who didn't take the steps to opt out." If Facebook loses and citizens start pushing for similar laws in other states, it could keep our activities in public relatively anonymous for a bit longer.

5 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. No. by Thud457 · · Score: 3, Funny

    In meatspace nobody recognizes Rorschach.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  2. The solution seems so simple by DickBreath · · Score: 4, Funny

    The stores which own the legislatures of both Illinois and Texas should simply order them to change the laws.

    You can buy all of the government some of the time, and some of the government all of the time, but . . . it takes a lot of money to buy all of the government, all of the time. So that option is only available to very large companies.

    --

    I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    1. Re:The solution seems so simple by Shakrai · · Score: 3, Funny

      If you're at Wal-Mart the trick is to keep a morbidly obese person between you and the cameras at all times. This is not as difficult as it sounds. ;)

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  3. demo code by antiperimetaparalogo · · Score: 4, Funny

    rolling out systems to "pre-identify" shoplifters

    // if (CustomerColor != WHITE) {ShopliftingAlert == TRUE} // XXX: uncomment *ONLY* for demo!

    --
    Antisthenes: "Wisdom begins by examining the words/names." - excuse my English, i am (slightly...) better with my Greek!
  4. Targeted billboard ads by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

    I cringe at the thought. This here illustrates pretty well what it would be like.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.