Facial Recognition: When Convenience and Privacy Collide

The use of facial recognition in the United States public sector has received a great deal of press lately, and most of it isn't positive. There's a lot of concern over how state and federal government agencies are using this technology and how the resulting biometric data will be used. Many fear that the use of this technology will lead to a Big Brother state. Unfortunately, these concerns are not without merit. We're already seeing damaging results where this technology is prevalent in countries like China, Singapore, and even the United Kingdom where London authorities recently fined a man for disorderly conduct for covering his face to avoid surveillance on the streets. In the United States, San Francisco recently banned the use of facial recognition by law enforcement and other agencies due to its impression of "spying" on residents.