Facial recognition is a technology that can be used to identify people without their knowledge or consent. It relies on the prevalence of cameras, which are becoming both more powerful and smaller, and machine learning technologies that can match the output of these cameras with images from a database of existing photos. People can be identified at a distance by their heart beat or by their gait, using a laser-based system. Cameras are so good that they can read fingerprints and iris patterns from meters away. And even without any of these technologies, we can always be identified because our smartphones broadcast unique numbers called MAC addresses.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic organizers are confident that security for the games will run smoothly and effectively after unveiling a pioneering face-recognition ID system Tuesday. The technology, which will be provided by NEC Corp. and used at the Olympics and Paralympics for the first time, allows athletes, officials and others accredited for the games access to restricted areas by identifying their faces, based on images previously collected and stored in a database. Accredited individuals must hold a card containing a chip with their facial data up to a terminal at each security check point, while also looking into a camera to verify their identity. NEC says that the technology, which will not be used for spectators, performs facial recognition "immediately" and has an accuracy rate of more than 99 percent. Organizers believe the system will speed up a process that could otherwise see long lines of people waiting in the sweltering summer heat, and will "drastically increase security levels" by detecting forgeries and attempted misuse of access.

WASHINGTON – The world's largest manufacturer of civilian drones is proposing that the craft continually transmit identification information to help government security agencies and law enforcement figure out which might belong to rogue operators. DJI, a Chinese company, said in a paper released Monday that radio transmissions of an identification code, possibly the operator's Federal Aviation Administration's registration number, could help allay security concerns while also protecting the operator's privacy. The paper suggests steps that can be taken to use existing technologies to develop an identification system, and that operators could include more identification information in addition to a number if they wish. Anyone with the proper radio receiver could obtain those transmissions from the drone, but only law enforcement officials or aviation regulators would be able to use that registration number to identify the registered owner. Law enforcement agencies and the U.S. military raised security concerns last year after FAA officials proposed permitting more civilian drone flights over crowds and densely populated areas.