IP: Massive deployment of face recognition systems promoted

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 11:31:12 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: Massive deployment of face recognition systems promoted
>
>
> In a quote reported in the Washington Post, Visionic Corp. president
> Joseph Atick appears to have revealed the scope of face-based surveillance
> he has in mind:
>
>       "He acknowledged the system's accuracy would depend on many factors,
>        including the quality of video camera images. He said, however, that
>        virtually any camera could be linked to the system, including those on
>        automated teller machines, in subway systems or at sports facilities.
>
>        'It's literally the ability to turn all of these cameras around the
>        country into a national shield,' Atick said."
>
> Atick suggests using the Internet to immediately notify the new "Office of
> Homeland Security" so security officials can be rushed to the scene.  These
> remarks came forth at an airport security study committee hearing in which
> the government appeared to be enthralled with Atick's "FaceIt" system and
> other technologies such as digital fingerprinting systems.
>
> Leaving aside for the moment the question of how well the FaceIt and other
> similar systems really work (in terms of both false positives and missed
> matches), let's assume for now that they work fairly well.  The implications
> of Atick's remark suggesting the wide deployment of this technology
> throughout society has enormous implications, beyond those of Visionic's
> bottom line.
>
> We're told that the systems would only be programmed to look for known
> terrorists, and that information from non-matches would not be maintained in
> the system.  But exactly who is a terrorist in the first instance?  The
> proposals submitted by the administration to Congress use an extremely broad
> definition, potentially including even petty computer hackers and subjecting
> them to the possibility of life in prison without possibility of parole.
> Combining this with the administration's calls for indefinite detention
> without trial for non-citizens under suspicion of "terrorism" paints a quite
> frightening picture.
>
> I think we can safely assume that the search database of these face
> recognition systems may be far wider than you might expect even if
> restricted to the "terrorism" category.  But does anyone really believe that
> once such systems are widely deployed they will stop with terrorism?  Law
> enforcement will lobby for wider access, and as the technology improves their
> demands will over time extend down from serious crimes to all manner of
> infractions and misdemeanors.  What about civil cases?  Private
> investigators and divorce attorneys also want to locate folks.  How can they
> be refused?  And how can we say no when the missing children's organizations
> request that their entire photo database be included within the systems?
> Plus, for some future less-enlightened administration, there's always the
> opportunity to keep tabs on the movements of your "favorite" dissidents and
> malcontents.
>
> Also remember that potentially these systems can be used in "reverse" as
> well.  Capture as many photos as you can of protesters at the latest
> gathering, then run them through the system to get as many IDs as you can
> and track their movements from then on.
>
> Before long, it will be clear that the power of these systems is such that
> it would be the most cost effective to simply to keep *everyone* in the
> database, starting perhaps from Motor Vehicle license photos, and to preserve
> a running record of movements available for retrospective analysis whenever
> necessary.
>
> Anyone who seriously believes that the above isn't likely to happen once
> these systems have a toehold is seriously out of touch with both history
> and reality.
>
> --Lauren--
> Lauren Weinstein
> lauren () pfir org or lauren () vortex com or lauren () privacyforum org
> Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
> Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
> Co-Founder, Fact Squad - http://www.factsquad.org
> Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
> Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy



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