Facial Recognition Poses ‘Ominous Risks for Privacy’
- Posted on August 8, 2011 at 3:56pm by
Liz Klimas
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Facial recognition software, which has existed for decades, but has recently become more mainstream, is being researched and criticized for privacy issues as it is coupled with social media sites.
CNET reports:
A Carnegie Mellon University researcher described how he assembled a database of about 25,000 photographs taken from students’ Facebook profiles. Then he set up a desk in one of the campus buildings and asked willing volunteers to peer into Webcams.
The results: facial recognition software put a name to the face of 31 percent of the students after, on average, less than three seconds of rapid-fire comparisons.
In a few years, “facial visual searches may become as common as today’s text-based searches,” says Alessandro Acquisti, who presented his work in collaboration with Ralph Gross and Fred Stutzman at the Black Hat computer security conference here.
As a proof of concept, the Carnegie Mellon researchers also developed an iPhone app that can take a photograph of someone, pipe it through facial recognition software, and then display on-screen that person’s name and vital statistics.
This has “ominous risks for privacy” says Acquisti, an associate professor of information technology and public policy at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. Widespread facial recognition tied to databases with real names will erode the sense of anonymity that we expect in public, he said.
Acquisti went on to say:
“What we did on the street with mobile devices today will be accomplished in less intrusive ways tomorrow. A stranger could know your last tweet just by looking at you.”
Facebook currently uses facial recognition software as an application that can semi-automatically tag friends in pictures. Facebook has received criticism for use and implementation of this software, which was automatically loaded and users have the choice to opt out of its use, rather than opt in. And although users have the option to opt out, as PC World stated back in June, it doesn’t mean that Facebook will stop recognizing faces–just that other users won’t be prompted to automatically tag photos.While facial recognition software can save time on tagging on Facebook, the software also serves for security purposes.
For example, as the video below states, police used it to catch 19 criminals walking into the 2011 Super Bowl:
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Cheetosareus
Posted on August 10, 2011 at 9:18amThis is spooky. If the government knows too much about you they can control you better. I can see them using all kinds of technology to keep tabs on everything you do…even how you vote. A hostile regime will use anything it can to put you away or put you down.
Report Post »islandlady
Posted on August 10, 2011 at 3:04amI knew this was going to be more trouble than fun. Im trying to reconstruct another one. Great communication as long as it does not exist on a hackable device. Someone invent something that is handheld and unhackable, good luck.
Report Post »Charlie
Posted on August 10, 2011 at 1:10amFacial recognition software is just creepy! I downloaded the lastest version of Picasa to sort my photos on my computer and search for duplicates and it identified all the pictures with matching PEOPLE in them and asked.. Is this the same person? It was weird! It found all the photos of my brother-in-law and grouped them together regardless of file name. Jussst.. creepy.
Report Post »Mysterynovus
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 4:39pmAm I the only creeped out about this? 0.o
Report Post »Just in time
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 12:29pmUm, that is how I discern who somebody is. You know facial recognition. It’s been around as long as there have been people
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 3:25pmIf it’s okay to recognize someone by their face, why is it against the law (by special statute) to know if a particular cell phone is on your premesis (without knowing WHO that phone belongs to)! I recently suffered an identity theft that followed from a restaurant break-in an theft! It occurs to me that a simple ‘ping recorder’ could keep a list of nearby cell phones in a rolling list of say a week’s duration, to help identify prime suspects for such an event! Nobody’s privacy is violated, no calls are listened to, but if you use your phone to coordinate with your getaway/lookout buddy, bingo-you should get a visit from the local detective’s office! But, a stupid law (is there ANY OTHER KIND) passed by our esteemed legislators make the recording of such information (the presence of a phone on YOUR premesis) ILLEGAL! Talk about dumb as a box of rocks! This is almost as stupid as outlawing the electric light bulb!
Report Post »Ron_WA
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 12:01pmI’ve no issue w/ law enforcement using facial recognition technology for a lawful stop or for security in posted restricted areas but not in public during day to day life just because it can.
I certainly don’t like FaceBook or any other private company using it w/out disclosing it to me & giving me a way to opt out.
Report Post »jkendal
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 10:41amAnother reason not to become a tweetering twit…..
Report Post »purplebutterfly
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 10:04amSo, of course, New Jersey has to jump on the bandwagon.
http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/PressReleases/archives/2011/051111.htm
Report Post »newrepublic7
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 10:15amWelcome to the Orwellian nightmare
Report Post »SummerB
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 9:16amWould not be surprised if this is what FB’s CEO spoke about in his Bilderberg keynote speech.
Report Post »nysparkie
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 8:19amAlthough I have nothing to hide, this is just creepy. George Orwell’s 1984 sort of come to life.
Report Post »Plain creepy.
AR_OR_AK
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 8:14amI’M MORE AFRAID OF CELLPHONES. There was talk years ago about implanting chips. Cellphones are better, cheaper, and easier. Plus people volunteer to get them. By using triangulation/GPS they can track you everywhere. And throw in all the apps, then they can intercept all your searches, e-mail, etc. Another thing that supports my theory is all the free “civil rights” cellphones your tax dollars are paying for. Now everyone is supposed to have a cellphone. I’ve heard the mics can be activated to eavesdrop on you. And I’m sure the cameras can do the same. So basically, Big Brother uses the cellphone as your keeper. We moniter ourselves. We’re making it waaaay to easy for them.
Report Post »Brizz
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 2:11pmEYE thought eye was paranoid
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 6:33amI agree wirh Scrivner, 1984 has arrived.
Report Post »They can monitor our phone calls and program a computer to seek certain key words and single that conversation out for a human to listen to. Homeland security searches your luggage and your person in the name of safety. Next your TV will watch you and you will have no privacy in your living room or bedroom.
The more freedoms we give up to the government in the name of security the more we deserve to lose.
The current administration wants to control more and more of our lives. They are regulating what kind of light bulbs we use, they won’t let us drill for oil or dig for coal. They want to regulate what we eat and how much. If we let them they will be telling us where to live and when we can sleep or what we are allowed to watch on TV (Goodbye Fox news).
It has to stop and the only way for us to change things is in the voting booth.
THROW ALL THE BUMS OUT!!!!!
Rocky_biskit
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 6:45am“Next your TV will watch you and you will have no privacy in your living room or bedroom.”
—————————————————————————————————————————-
What makes you think that isnt already happening? I give the middle finger to my tv EVERY morning!!
Report Post »scrivener
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 3:13amI recall that when I read Orwell’s “1984” for the first time, back in the 1960′s, it was commonplace for people to dismiss as an impossible fantasy the concept of a society in which oppressive surveillance was ubiquitous and accurate. “Who’s going to monitor all that video for signs of subversive activity?” they would ask. You’d need just as many “watchers” as citizens being watched. And who would watch the watchers? And so on.
Fast-forward fifty years, and the technology and computing power to accomplish exactly that vision of the future is here — and people are voluntarily pouring their life’s history into social networking sites whose privacy policies would vanish the moment the government demands the information.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 7:09amI put a bare minimum of information on my facebook page. I also only “friend” people I know personally. If I haven’t met you in real life, don’t ask to be my friend, I’ll turn it down. I did notice that when someone asks to be your “friend” they now have a “I don’t know this person in real life” option. And they can’t ask again.
Report Post »eddyjames1952
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 2:44amBuy a big can of morticians wax and learn how to apply it. You can change the shape of your face and it’s features in minutes.
Report Post »Godrulz
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 1:59amWow, I‘m really going to look crazy now when I’m wearing an aluminum foil hat and an aluminum foil face mask.
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 3:28pmOoohhh, make sure you are grounded during an electrical storm!
Report Post »theBigToe
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 12:33amI agree, @Servant, that this technology is fine for catching criminals if the criminal is a murder, rapist, kidnapper, terrorist, mafia member, serial killer, bank robber, or common thug wanted for assault etc… The concern I think most civil liberties proponents have is that it can be used to identify anyone and know from their digital life what they think and what they support. This could lead an oppressive government to isolate people quickly and oppress and harass any political opposition. If that happens though, I say the problem isn’t with the technology but with the government. Elections have consequences as we are seeing today. Be sure you vote for someone who has been properly vetted. That is the job of journalists, if they won’t do their jobs (and the didn‘t do their jobs in ’08) then each of us have to make an effort to find the truth and get the word out. One of the great things about the Blaze writers is they do their work and the posters are a big part of that.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 7:11amWhy do you think the Obama administration labeled the Tea Party as terrorists?
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on August 8, 2011 at 9:34pmI find it disturbing that the FB ceo is chummy with the potus.
Report Post »Servant Of YHVH
Posted on August 8, 2011 at 9:32pmWell so they would know who I am and if they tie it to my posts, and I don’t break any laws, so what? I’m proud of who I am and I post what I believe so why should I worry. If the commies leading this country starts trying to use it in illegal ways to start trying to put people in concentration camps, I know how to hide out away from their eletronic communistic equipment.
Report Post »M 4 Colt
Posted on August 9, 2011 at 4:52amIf the government makes up its mind to come after you you won’t have any idea or any prior notice that they are coming for you until they are standing over you while your sleeping in your bed, then they wake you and your nightmare starts for real.
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