Facial Recognition

Mi-Gyeong Gwak, Christian Vargas, Jonathan Vinson

Facial Recognition

A facial recognition system is a computer application for automatically identifying or verifying a person from a digital image or a video frame from a video source.

It is typically used in security systems.

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How It Works

Detect and isolate human faces captured by the camera

Analyze them using an algorithm that extracts identifying features

“Nodal points"

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How the Professionals Thinks About

Larry Strickling, the administrator of NTIA

"Facial recognition technology has the potential to improve services for consumers… However, the technology poses distinct consumer privacy challenges…"

The Federal Trade Commission

"Facial recognition technology has been adopted in a variety of new contexts… Its increased use has raised a variety of privacy concerns.”

Federal Law

NO federal law explicitly addresses the collection and storage of faceprints.

However, some states have dealt with the issue in their legislatures.

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The Privacy Act of 1974

It governs collection, maintenance, and storage of records on individuals in the United States.

“Record” - include any item, collection or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained by an agency...and that contains his name, or the identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual.

The Stored Communication Act

Electronic communications services

- "any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds....“

Remote computing services

How about videos?

The Fourth Amendment

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Advantages

What is facial recognition good for:

• Surveillance or tracking

• Automation in security systems

• It generally faster than other forms of security

Disadvantages

What are the down sides to this technology

• Users may feel that this technology is a breach of their privacy

• will be more errors that will arise with this type of technology

• this type of technology is more expensive

What are some Current uses?

Security

Image Database investigations

General identity verification

Surveillance

Two Examples of these uses:

Facebook

Facial recognition is used for photo tagging and suggestions of who is in a picture

TSA/Law Enforcement Agencies

In airports for country entrance and for searching and tracking people that might be involve in criminal activities

Future of Facial Recognition

Department Stores Police Departments Secure Buildings Streets Mobile Devices ..Everywhere

Mobilizing Facial Recognition

Google Glass Smart Watches Smart Phones Wearable Tech

Big DataSocial MediaCloud Computing

Big Data & Social Media

“So essentially, we can start from an anonymous face, offline or online, and we can use facial recognition to give a name to that anonymous face thanks to social media data. But a few years back, we did something else. We started from social media data, we combined it statistically with data from U.S. government social security, and we ended up predicting social security numbers, which in the United States are extremely sensitive information.” - Alessandro Acquisti

Current Tech.

In one experiment, Acquisti's team identified individuals on a popular online dating site where members protect their privacy through pseudonyms.

In a second experiment, they identified students walking on campus — based on their profile photos on Facebook.

In a third, the team predicted personal interests and, in some cases, even the Social Security numbers of the students, beginning with only a photo of their faces.

Future Apps

Targeted advertizing in stores

Real-world data mining

Criminal identification

Legal Concerns

Information such as click streams, likes, dislikes, and shopping history are not legally prevented from being sold.

Opt In or Opt Out?

Opt out by sending personal information and a head-shot to a company in order to be placed on a “do not identify” list.

Opt in by shopping at stores or locations that inform their customers that facial recognition is used in their facilities

Does Privacy Matter?

"Ultimately, all this access is going to force us to reconsider our notions of privacy. It may also affect how we interact with each other"

- Alessandro Acquisti

Resources

Wikipedia contributors. "Facial recognition system."Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 31 Mar 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facial_recognition_system>.

Levashov, Kirill. "The Rise of a New Type of Surveillance for Which the Law Wasn’t Ready." Columbia Science and Technology Law Review. (2013): n. page. Web. 2 Apr. 2014. <http://www.stlr.org/volumes/volume-xv-2013-2014/the-rise-of-a-new-type-of-surveillance-for-which-the-law-wasn’t-ready/>.

Tummarello, Kate . "Administration will review facial recognition technology." Capitol Hill Publishing Corp. 31 Dec 2013, 16. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.

Resources Cont.

Cooney, Michael . "Facial recognition security, privacy issues grab FTC attention; Facial recognition technology on the rise as governments increase use; Facebook, Microsoft implement it." Network World26 Sep 2011, n. pag. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/index.html

http://www.hanvon.com/en/products/FaceID/downloads/FAQ.html#03

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/ What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_face_recog

nition_system?#slide=3

Resources Cont.

http://www.slideshare.net/avinash_mechies/facial-recognition-technology-15629643

https://www.facebook.com/help/122175507864081 http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/high-tech-

gadgets/facial-recognition4.htm http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1403/1403.0485.pdf http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/6/5385674/senator-al-

franken-raises-concerns-over-google-glass-facial-recognition-app

http://www.ted.com/talks/alessandro_acquisti_why_privacy_matters/transcript#t-195317