Facial Recognition Technology: Benefits and Drawbacks

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Facial recognition technology is used to identify or verify the identity of an individual using his/her face. Face detection technology is gaining a foothold in a myriad of industries. While the technology has been around for some time, the launch of commercial applications has only just begun thanks to recent technological advances. And this futuristic technology is generating a lot of excitement in the tech world.

Key Market Trends

In terms of commercial applications, facial recognition technology is making considerable strides in travel, retail, and security. The use of facial recognition technology to prevent fraud and provide a personalized customer experience in eCommerce and digital banking is on the rise. Government agencies and law enforcement groups have not been left behind. Led by the United States and China, many nations are investing significant resources in facial recognition technology.

Benefits

Facial recognition technology has immense potential for businesses, governments, and individuals. Here are some of the key benefits associated with the technology.

• Security. The primary objective of face detection technology is to identify and protect. Law enforcement groups in the US, UK, Asia, and other parts of the world are using facial recognition technology to identify and track criminals and to maintain law and order in public spaces.
• Healthcare. The benefits of facial recognition technology are rapidly expanding into the healthcare industry. It can replace devices and passwords to facilitate quick and easy access to medical records, thus expediting healthcare provision. The tech can also be used to prevent insurance fraud and detect genetic diseases.

Drawbacks

Despite its benefits, we believe that its drawbacks outweigh its benefits. Here are some of the concerns raised with respect to the use of this technology.

• Privacy. With the help of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) systems, law enforcement groups can use facial recognition technology to identify and track anybody, any time. The public’s apprehension towards facial recognition technology is not unwarranted; the lack of privacy and the feeling of being watched have a lot to do with it.
• Data Security. The security of individual facial recognition security data collected by government agencies is another challenge. These agencies store the data, which includes billions of photos and videos in databases. These databases are vulnerable to cybercriminals and can be breached at any time. In the wrong hands, facial recognition data can wreak havoc in our lives.
• Bias. Facial recognition systems are often inaccurate, often misidentifying people, especially persons of color. This creates the problem of racial bias. Face detection systems are generally unreliable, especially in situations where they have to identify in low light or use poor-quality videos and images.

How to Protect Yourself from Facial Recognition Technology

Facial recognition technology raises a lot of concerns. Key issues surrounding face detection tech range from the legislative basis, impact on human rights, bias, and efficiency. Can we protect ourselves from facial recognition technology? You attempt to protect yourself by wearing face masks or glasses in public.

However, it is difficult to avoid going to places where the technology is used. We can still control our online presence and protect our privacy. Facebook uses facial recognition software to analyze images posted on the site and identify users by face. We can start by disabling the facial recognition function in the settings. Encrypt your traffic with a VPN for privacy when surfing the internet, especially when you are connected to public networks.

Conclusion

Most people opposing facial recognition technology cite privacy concerns. By infringing fundamental rights, facial recognition technology is going too far. There’s no denying that if deployed properly in specific cases and contexts, facial recognition technology has the potential to solve problems.

However, the current application of face detection technology raises reasonable concerns about basic rights and freedoms. Until these issues have been properly addressed, society will never be able to leverage facial recognition technology in a beneficial manner.