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Taylor Swift Used Facial Recognition Tech At Concerts To Spy On Stalkers (boingboing.net)

Posted by BeauHD on from the extra-set-of-eyes dept.

AmiMoJo shares a report: Taylor Swift used facial recognition technology at her live performances so that technicians running the system could then check those face scans against a private database of her stalkers. There is now big demand for serious security at live events the size of a Taylor Swift concert. There have been so many bombings and mass shootings at music concerts over the past year to even remember without Googling. Fear of being killed at a music concert is something people factor in to the decision to buy tickets and go to live events. The demand for security is real.

4 of 147 comments (clear)

  1. They're all stalkers by sjbe · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Taylor Swift used facial recognition technology at her live performances so that technicians running the system could then check those face scans against a private database of her stalkers.

    Umm, pretty much anyone who is a Taylor Swift fan willing to actually pay to see her concert would qualify as a stalker - including teenage girls. They bulk of her fan base has an unhealthy obsession with her and her rather uninteresting music. They don't need facial recognition, just a camera or ask for ID at the door. The only question is how creepy are they.

    Seriously, if true this is either a star taking herself WAY too seriously or some security asshat who got a new shiny toy to pay with and convinced an overpayed prima-donna to pay for it.

  2. The demand is real by Daralantan · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There have been so many bombings and mass shootings at music concerts over the past year to even remember without Googling. Fear of being killed at a music concert is something people factor in to the decision to buy tickets and go to live events. The demand for security is real.

    While I agree that even one shooting is too many... I look at this and feel like the wording makes it sound like a bombing or shooting at a concert takes place very 2-3 days. I doubt very many people think that if they go to a concert that they are likely be part of a mass murder.

  3. Re: I woudn't want anyone to know I attended eithe by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A young attractive woman, who is popular, rich... Who also will play at concerts that is a short drive from where you live, where you can meet in person...
    While not my type of music, she is a talented singer, and performer. I can see a lot of people who are stupid enough to think a friendly smile or point at in a concert actually meant something, vs just playing to the audience and being friendly to her fan/revenue base.

    There are a lot of stupid guys who misinterpret flirting or just friendliness as opening the door for further relations.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  4. Re:Not spying if there's consent by Can'tNot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's not consent if it's buried in some ToS.

    I did find the wording here interesting though, I read another headline: "Swift uses facial recognition to track her stalkers at concerts." ... That's a telling change, but neither one of these headlines is really capturing the problem here. Maybe another headline would be a little more accurate: "Swift uses facial recognition to track tens of thousands of people, a few of which are stalkers."