If efforts by states and cities to pass privacy regulations curbing the use of facial recognition are anything to go by, you might fear the worst for the companies building the technology. But a recent influx of investor cash suggests the facial recognition startup sector is thriving, not suffering. Facial recognition is one of the most controversial and complex policy areas in play. The technology can be used to track where you go and what you do. It's used by public authorities and in private businesses like stores.

By Kashmir Hill Floyd Abrams, one of the most prominent First Amendment lawyers in the country, has a new client: the facial recognition company Clearview AI. Litigation against the startup "has the potential of leading to a major decision about the interrelationship between privacy claims and First Amendment defenses in the 21st century," Abrams said in a phone interview. He said the underlying legal questions could one day reach the Supreme Court. Clearview AI has scraped billions of photos from the internet, including from platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram, and sells access to the resulting database to law enforcement agencies. When an officer uploads a photo or a video image containing a person's face, the app tries to match the likeness and provides other photos of that person that can be found online.

A facial recognition company recorded data on tens of thousands of fans at this year's Rose Bowl game in Pasadena. Tech company VSBLTY set up four cameras around the stadium, specifically targeting areas where'Fan Fest' activities were taking place, and logged the identity of more than 30,000 fans that passed by. The company used an AI-driven product called Vector, which features a digital display with a domed camera placed beneath it that VSBLTY says embodies'the intersection of marketing and security.' Facial recognition company VSBLTY tested its new product called Vector at the 2020 Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, using video monitors placed in the'Fan Fest' area outside the stadium with cameras discretely placed underneath The displays can be programmed to show replays or commercials meant to attract the eye of passersby, something that also conveniently encourages people to give the camera a less obstructed view of their face.

Microsoft is pulling out of an investment in an Israeli facial recognition technology developer as part of a broader policy shift to halt any minority investments in facial recognition startups, the company announced late last week. The decision to withdraw its investment from AnyVision, an Israeli company developing facial recognition software, came as a result of an investigation into reports that AnyVision's technology was being used by the Israeli government to surveil residents in the West Bank. The investigation, conducted by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and his team at Covington & Burling, confirmed that AnyVision's technology was used to monitor border crossings between the West Bank and Israel, but did not "power a mass surveillance program in the West Bank." Microsoft's venture capital arm, M12 Ventures, backed AnyVision as part of the company's $74 million financing round which closed in June 2019. Investors who continue to back the company include DFJ Growth and OG Technology Partners, LightSpeed Venture Partners, Robert Bosch GmbH, Qualcomm Ventures, and Eldridge Industries.

Facial recognition is a booming business! It has transformed the way we live in 2019, opening up exciting possibilities and posing new dangers. At present, we use facial recognition when unlocking a smartphone or laptop, but it will soon play a major role in everything right from booking a taxi to ordering food. Facial recognition is a form of biometric authentication that uses body measurements to verify your identity. It identifies people by measuring the unique shape and structure of the face.

Recently, it's been speculated that Apple may forgo its Touch ID feature on the upcoming iPhone 8 in favour of facial recognition, and the company's latest acquisition seems to line up pretty neatly with this. Tel Aviv cybertech startup, Realface, has just been bought by Apple for what is estimated to be a few million dollars. The Israeli company is responsible for facial recognition software that integrates artificial intelligence, specifically for use in smart and secure login systems. The ill-fated Samsung Galaxy Note 7 featured iris scanning, and it worked pretty well, but if the iPhone 8 is to get facial recognition, it could be the next considerable step for biometric security in the major phone brands since the adoption of fingerprint scanning. Despite the convenience and coolness of facial recognition, it's still far from flawless, so Apple will have to be pretty confident with their technology if they are to implement it in future flagships.