Soon passports are no longer needed. Face scans will become more common in the future. Some companies are already working with trial periods in which they are going to apply face recognition in their systems. Face recognition can be used for different purposes.
- Schiphol airport will quickly identify customers with face recognition and hope to reduce the queues at the gates.
- The credit card company Mastercard was busy testing the login and pay opportunities using face recognition in the Netherlands.
- The transport company RET wants to use face recognition cameras against people with a public transportation ban in order to prevent nuisance makers.
Face recognition can be useful for many companies. These three companies are therefore not the only ones who are considering to apply it. Even though we heard this concept just recently in the news, the facial recognition techniques are not new.
In 1964 the first steps were made. Small fragments of images were compared with an image from a large photo. People still had to point out the nose, mouth and eyes on the photo by themselves, but since 1971 there has been developed a system that could take over this job.
So, face recognition has its advantages for businesses and their customers, but there are also disadvantages. Because what about privacy of the people? When everyone becomes followed by cameras, their information can be transmitted to a central database and government can track every individual directly.
According to security expert Bruce Schneier, we don’t need to worry about it. By law, the government cannot attach files unless it comes to the security or fraud. ‘”We use the information only for the purpose for which it was collected” says Schneier. Furthermore, certain images may be used only with permission of the persons concerned to identify that person in the Netherlands.
Even with this reassurance, face recognition can and will come with some problems. For example, one time in America a car driver was arrested falsely. His driving license was confiscated and he was being held for ten days. This was only because an automatic face recognition system mistook him for another person.
Sources:
http://www.nu.nl/internet/4108496/mastercard-test-inloggen-met-gezichtsscan-in-nederland.html
http://www.nu.nl/gadgets/4323612/schiphol-doet-volgend-jaar-proef-met-gezichtsherkenning.html
http://www.nu.nl/binnenland/2613144/ret-voegt-gezichtsherkenning-toe-camerabewaking.html
http://pc-en-internet.infonu.nl/software/103817-gezichtsherkenning-nooit-meer-anoniem.html
https://www.computable.nl/artikel/achtergrond/overheid/4130887/1444691/gezichtsscan-door-overheid-is-privacygevaar.html
