Microsoft Urges Government to Regulate Facial-Recognition Technology

Facial-recognition technology has become deeply integrated in tech giants' products, whether the key feature for unlocking Apple's iPhone X or identifying people in Google's photos app. In his latest missive, Mr. Smith tackles the potential "sobering" uses for facial-recognition technology, such as creating a database of everyone who attended a political rally or governmental tracking of residents as they move about without their permission or knowledge. "The only effective way to manage the use of technology by a government is for the government proactively to manage this use itself," Mr. Smith wrote in a blog post scheduled for Friday. But he also challenged the notion companies could regulate themselves alone. Change won't occur, he said, if a few companies adopt new standards while rivals ignore them.