As technology advances it seems the public’s right to privacy is being further invaded. The latest invasion comes in the form of facial recognition. Amazon’s ‘Rekognition’ software hit the market last year at an extremely affordable price and is being adopted worldwide.
The software has recently been successfully used by news agencies around the world to identify guests at the Royal wedding and is in regular use in the USA to identify members of Congress.
The advancement in facial recognition technology has been so fast that it has been introduced to the market without proper Government regulations in place.
“We should have a set of principles that developers like Amazon and others are encouraged, if not required, to use,” said Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow.
Increasing the accuracy of reporting by news agencies in situations where celebrities or politicians are expecting to be identified seems a logical and acceptable use of such technology. This technology could also be used to help security at football stadiums, amusement parks and shopping centres, to recognise lost children as well as to identify previously marked thieves and barred members of the community.
For all the positives this software provides, what is the effect of this on the privacy of the individuals in everyday life? The question you really need to ask is: would you be okay with CCTV vision from Flinders Street or Central Station identifying you against a database and recording your movements?
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