What is facial recognition - and how sinister is it?

As a surveillance technique it’s ubiquitous, but is still a political, legal and ethical conundrum.

"Despite a 2012 high court ruling that retaining images of innocent people was unlawful, the police have steadily built up a custody database of 20 million people, many of whom have never been convicted of a crime. "

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jul/29/what-is-facial-recognition-and-how-sinister-is-it

You wonder @EffJay, how long before it becomes normal fashion for  people to be wearing anti facial recognition items such as sunglass or wearing reflective make up to stop this intrusion of public liberties, in their everyday lives. As you could image retail company’s having a field day with this tech?  


And you could see the company that makes these CCTV camera’s, also making the anti-facial recognition wear as well.

Or am I just thinking of the “Minority report” film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bXJ_obaiYQ

Pintel, just looked up reflective make up and found this article. Had never heard of CV dazzle before (sounds like something job-search related!), but apparently it stands for "computer vision dazzle". Wonder how this makeup would go down in an interview?

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/07/makeup/374929/

I rather like this. I hope it becomes a fashion.

The Zolas - CV Dazzle (on YouTube)

[Verse 1]
Eyes on every corner, every dollar bill
Paint our faces into Picassos for the kill

[Chorus]
CV dazzle is a way of life
In this fucked, fuzzy world
I'm the black and white
CV dazzle for the love and hate
With your ten-thousand eyes, watch me pixelate

[Verse 2]
Zeroes and ones, won't you tell me which am I?
Sending all our dreams to a spreadsheet in the sky

You never know some style guru might be able to make it a fashion statement out of these cosmetic's. Or add some more colours to the range, that might make it more acceptable? You could see the future of people looking like a cross between Ziggy stardust and Louis XIV?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XIV_of_France


https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/07/makeup/374929/

Also while we are on the topic of liberties, I have noticed a lot of job adverts. saying that you can apply using 'Facebook' or 'Linked' accounts. A worrying situation, as you could see a future employers searching your posts .

So people may end up have to create a fake 'Social media' accounts when applying for jobs?

the tech just fail's

https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/all-media/campaigners-urge-met-to-drop-disastrous-facial-recognition/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2019/07/04/london-police-facial-recognition-fails-80-of-the-time-and-must-stop-now/

https://www.technologyreview.com/f/613284/new-yorks-mass-face-recognition-trial-on-drivers-has-been-a-spectacular-failure/

Pintel wrote:You never know some style guru might be able to make it a fashion statement out of these cosmetic's. Or add some more colours to the range, that might make it more acceptable? You could see the future of people looking like a cross between Ziggy stardust and Louis XIV?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XIV_of_France


https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/07/makeup/374929/

Also while we are on the topic of liberties, I have noticed a lot of job adverts. saying that you can apply using 'Facebook' or 'Linked' accounts. A worrying situation, as you could see a future employers searching your posts .  

So people may end up have to create a fake 'Social media' accounts when applying for jobs?

You must remember that 80s fashion in Australia when people wore bright coloured sun bloc on their faces.

http://www.miamioptimoms.com/Zinc%20Pic%201.jpg

I was just wondering about civil liberties about this type of surveillance/ data harvesting of individual‘s under the GDPR? While as @Admin has pointed out the tech is not that good. But you could imaging more and more data being shared by agency’s/company’s. Look at the news article the National ID cards are back on the radar it seems in Eire. And how long you would wonder before the data is stolen or sold off to the highest bidder. And I thought the Stasi was disbanded years ago?


https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2019/07/30/un-official-says-privacy-rights-under-threat-with-irish-governments-national-id-card/?__s=xmyr23cnwkghffv3kxt9

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi

Caker wrote:

You must remember that 80s fashion in Australia when people wore bright coloured sun bloc on their faces.

http://www.miamioptimoms.com/Zinc%20Pic%201.jpg

The way things are going with global warming, you could see a fashion-revival @Caker?

Pintel wrote:I was just wondering about civil liberties about this type of surveillance/ data harvesting of individual‘s under the GDPR? While as @Admin has pointed out the tech is not that good. But you could imaging more and more data being shared by agency’s/company’s. Look at the news article the National ID cards are back on the radar it seems in Eire. And how long you would wonder before the data is stolen or sold off to the highest bidder. And I thought the Stasi was disbanded years ago?  


https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2019/07/30/un-official-says-privacy-rights-under-threat-with-irish-governments-national-id-card/?__s=xmyr23cnwkghffv3kxt9

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi

Bigbrotherwatch is onto it.

https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/all-campaigns/face-off-campaign/

A friend of mine is Super Recogniser:

https://www.superrecognisers.com/

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/superrecogniser

S/he can be very annoying at times!

I wonder if they will try a similar law in this country soon: "Face-Covering Clothing Act"(Netherlands). Mind you, the article says it doesn't seem to be going well....

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/01/dutch-police-signal-unwillingness-enforce-new-burqa-ban

Not to get anyone worried but you wonder about 'personal tech' and what might be hidden in these?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/01/future-imperfect-robots-mind-reading-apps

https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/03/07/cia-wikileaks-samsung-smart-tv-hack-security/#1b0e0c2b4bcd

On a similar topic:


https://respectfulbenefits.forumotion.com/t4033-apple-halts-practice-of-contractors-listening-in-to-users-on-siri

More on facial recognition:

South Wales police to use facial recognition apps on phones

Force testing app that lets officers run snapshot through ‘watchlist’ to identify suspects.

South Wales police are to have a facial recognition app installed on their phones to identify suspects without having to take them to a police station.

The force intends to test the app over the next three months with 50 officers using the technology to confirm the names of people of interest who are stopped on routine patrols.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/07/south-wales-police-to-use-facial-recognition-to-identify-suspects

Another article on facial recognition:

Invisibility cloaks and 3D masks: how to thwart the facial recognition cameras.

In the brave new world of proliferating surveillance technology, human ingenuity is rising to the challenge.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/14/thwart-facial-recognition-cameras-invisibility-cloak-3d-mask

heres a good one for you

facial recognition used without any consent or even a council knowledge

Community chief Labour councillor Danny Beales told the New Journal the council was unaware of the set-up where people’s faces are scanned using CCTV cameras and then matched to databases

http://camdennewjournal.com/article/town-hall-demands-urgent-talks-with-developer-over-facial-recognition-tech-use-in-kings-cross

I've been wondering if the JCP might have installed a similar CCTV devices in there offices? Would an FOI to the DWP uncover whether this true or not. Or would it not be disclosed due to security reasons?  

Pintel wrote:I've been wondering if the JCP might have installed a similar CCTV devices in there offices? Would an FOI to the DWP uncover whether this true or not. Or would it not be disclosed due to security reasons?  

Only one way to find out. I am also interested in the outcome of any FOI about this.

Facial recognition was included in this FOI from 2013:

"In response to your requests: 
 
Who is responsible for the CCTV recordings at your job center plus buildings? 
 
The landlord of the building, which is usually Trillium for Jobcentre Plus offices, is responsible 
for CCTV footage. 
 
Is facial recognition software used in conjunction or relation to the CCTV?
 
DWP does not hold this information. You should contact the landlord of the building with your  request. Contact details are available on CCTV notices displayed in all buildings occupied by Jobcentre Plus. "

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/165431/response/405236/attach/html/3/WDTK%20Response%202790%20Horrocks.pdf.html

But I think a new FOI would be a good idea as things may have changed since then.

Annotation to above FOI

B. Adams left an annotation ( 4 July 2013)

"The DWP reply is interesting they state ...”The landlord of the building, which is usually Trillium for Jobcentre Plus offices, is responsible for CCTV footage”.

In the Commons Written Answers on 3rd July.. Mr Hoban stated: … In 1998 the Department entered into a 20-year PFI contract with Telereal Trillium (TT) for the provision of fully serviced accommodation which they (TT) deliver through Service Partners. MITIE is one of TT's Service Providers. As the Department does not directly contract with MITIE there is no spend information etc..

So as a result of having to attend the Jobcentre, a private company is able to record and store our information of which the DWP has no control over.."

More on Trillium:

Telereal Trillium selling Job Centre Plus portfolio for £110m

Tue 2 July 2019

Telereal Trillium is to sell 14 freehold office buildings let to the government-owned Job Centre Plus worth a combined £110m.

https://www.propertyweek.com/news/telereal-trillium-selling-job-centre-plus-portfolio-for-110m/5103331.article

Facial recognition technology scrapped at King's Cross site.

Surveillance software switched off at prestigious development after backlash.

Facial recognition technology will not be deployed at the King’s Cross development in the future, following a backlash prompted by the site owner’s admission last month that the software had been used in its CCTV systems.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/sep/02/facial-recognition-technology-scrapped-at-kings-cross-development

https://publictechnology.net/articles/news/police-use-facial-recognition-ruled-lawful-high-court


Police use of facial recognition ruled lawful by High Court