Is it ethical?? Let's find out!

The issue with using facial recognition software in everyday lives is something that has caught people's attention.  The government in the United Kingdom has already been exposed as to be using facial recognition in the street cameras in London.  That means that they are able to see who's on the streets, and what they are doing at all times.  This brings up an issue of the government invading into the people's privacy, and if what they are doing is morally correct, even if it is to protect from terrorism.  There are people in the United Kingdom who are trying to get these cameras removed from the streets, but so far to no avail.  The issue is not just found on the streets, but also in people's homes.  Just last year, Samsung introduced a television set that would have facial recognition software embedded into it.  It will be able to identify who is standing in front of the tv, and then display that person's personalized tv guide and favorite programming.  That main issue with this feature, is that there is no way to turn it off.  This opens up possibilities for Samsung to send private information to third parties or the government. 

The different types of it!

There are 3 main forms of facial recognition software, traditional, 3D, and skin texture analysis.  The most commonly used one is the traditional form.  The traditional form of facial recognition software is based on analyzing the position of key facial features and then storing them in storage for future matching.  The software will pull a face and set it on a 2D flat plane.  Then, the software detects features such as eyes, nose, ears, cheekbones, etc, and then it stores their position on the plane.  Since everyone has a different face, everyone has unique positions of ears, eyes and other features.  The system stores these positions as code, and if the same face shows up again, it is able to match it, and identify the person.  Other forms of traditional recognition software are used to just identify a face from a picture.  This is evident in most modern cameras with a face-recognizing feature.  This feature allows the camera to see where the faces are in the photos, and be able to determine the correct amount of zoom and focus that the camera will need in order to get the best picture.   The benefits of the traditional method are the relative cheapness of it compared to other methods.  It allows for the software to be easily installed in security cameras for businesses and government buildings.  This form of recognition will be all that is needed for a good security system.  It is good enough to detect faces quickly and effectively, and is very useful in keeping unwanted people out.  However, traditional software must have adequate lighting to recognize faces, and provides the least powerful technology of the 3 forms.   Additionally, if the person is facing at an angle more than 35 degrees from the camera, the software may not be able to store the person's data into the system.  Also, since the computer stores the positions of key facial features, if the person is doing some sort of facial expression, the computer might not match it if the person is scanned again with a neutral face expression.

            The 3D form of facial recognition software is the most advanced form that is available at the moment.  It had its roots planted in 2006 in a software developer challenge.  While the basis for the 3D software is the same as the traditional, it builds upon it.  3D software is not only able to record locations of features, but it also measure depth.  It measures contours of the nose, surface features, among others.  Using this technology, 3D recognition is more reliable and effective than the traditional method.  The technology is about 10 times more accurate than programs that were used in 2002.  Therefore, it is the preferred method for government and high level security firms.

Introduction!!

Facial recognition software has been around since the 1960s.  It is a successful, yet behind-the-scenes form of security and surveillance.  Facial recognition allows employers to check to see if their employees show up on time.  It allows firms and businesses to keep unwanted customers out of their workplace.  And most importantly, it allows for the government and security firms to monitor and keep terrorism at bay.  However, along with all these benefits, there is also a question of ethics and privacy concerns.  What gives the government the right to monitor us?  Does it really help keep us safe from attacks?  And with even more modern technology, facial recognition software is becoming very widespread throughout the world.  As the technology gets cheaper, more and more governments and businesses are using it.  The legal, social, ethical, and security aspects of facial recognition software are important topics.  The benefits of such a controversial form of technology, and how the liabilities affect the everyday citizen, is what will be discussed today.