Police use facial recognition much more than you realize

Police departments across the country may know what you look like, even if you don't know how they got your photo. About half of American adults are already in a "law enforcement face recognition network," according to a new study published Tuesday by researchers at Georgetown University's Center on Privacy and Technology. SEE ALSO: Social media companies suspend Geofeedia's access after reported police tracking "This technology is not limited to serious criminals," Alvaro Bedoya, one of the study's co-authors, said during a conference call on Tuesday. A Denver Police Department officer uses a camera to shoot video of bystanders. To many, perhaps the most surprising thing about the report is that it found "face recognition is neither new nor rare."