Facial recognition could strike at our right to privacy

There are few sights more dispiriting than a long queue at ticket offices or machines when you're rushing to catch a train. However, technology is now offering an ingenious solution. A facial recognition system is being developed that uses two invisible, near-infrared lights flashing at high speed to help a single camera capture a 3-D image of a face in astonishing detail. It will register the smallest details, down to tiny blemishes and wrinkles, and can recognise individuals even if they are wearing glasses or moving quickly along a platform. The image can then be checked against a customer database.