Consumers Warm Up to Facial Recognition to Keep Them Safe, but for Marketing and Advertising, No Thanks

As facial recognition systems become increasingly accurate, more governments and law enforcement organizations are tapping them to verify people's identities, nab criminals and keep transactions secure. In recent months, France's government announced a nationwide facial recognition ID program, a UK court ruled that live facial recognition doesn't violate privacy rights and research revealed that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and the FBI are using facial recognition to apprehend undocumented immigrants. Most of this activity is undertaken in the name of safety and security, but it is also raising major red flags among privacy advocates. They argue that the technology--which can scan and identify faces without consent in crowded streets, retail stores and sports stadiums--is predatory and invasive. Among consumers, the jury is still out.