Episode 68 - Mask Off

Half of all US Citizens have their faces in a database that can be searched by facial-tracking software, and the slow creep of surveillance technology means more of us are being watched and analyzed by AI face-detection cameras, often without us knowing, and almost always without our consent. So what are some of the ways companies and governments deploy these technologies today? What are the limits and blind spots to these systems? More importantly, what can and does go wrong when we choose to outsource human recognition to automated computers?

full transcript available

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Chapters

  • 03:21 Implementations
  • 11:25 Landlords, Churches, Hotels, and Schools - Oh My!
  • 23:30 Technology Creep
  • 31:29 Potential for Abuse
  • 37:24 Ridiculous Ideas
  • 41:43 Failures and Blind Spots
  • 48:43 Irrevocable Consequences
  • 55:25 Aiding Selective Enforcement
  • 1:05:41 Fighting Back
  • 1:15:01 Daniel moving to Boston?

Sources

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@misc{Brandom_2018, title={Amazon’s facial recognition matched 28 members of Congress to criminal mugshots}, url={https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/26/17615634/amazon-rekognition-aclu-mug-shot-congress-facial-recognition}, journal={The Verge}, author={Brandom, Russell}, year={2018}, month={Jul} }
@misc{Chunichi Shimbun_2018, title={Superrealistic face masks by Japan firm attract attention from facial-recognition system developers}, url={https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/11/05/national/superrealistic-face-masks-japan-firm-attract-attention-facial-recognition-system-developers/}, journal={The Japan Times Online}, author={Chunichi Shimbun}, year={2018}, month={Nov} }
@misc{Cimpanu_2019, title={Chinese company leaves Muslim-tracking facial recognition database exposed online}, url={https://www.zdnet.com/article/chinese-company-leaves-muslim-tracking-facial-recognition-database-exposed-online/}, journal={Catalin Cimpanu}, author={Cimpanu, Catalin}, year={2019}, month={Feb} }
@misc{Cory Doctorow_2018, title={Invisible, targeted infrared light can fool facial recognition software into thinking anyone is anyone else}, url={https://boingboing.net/2018/03/26/the-threaten-from-infrared.html}, journal={Boing Boing}, author={Cory Doctorow}, year={2018}, month={Mar} }
@misc{Drew Harwell_2018, title={Unproven facial-recognition companies target schools, promising an end to shootings}, url={https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/unproven-facial-recognition-companies-target-schools-promising-an-end-to-shootings/2018/06/07/1e9e6d52-68db-11e8-9e38-24e693b38637_story.html}, journal={Washington Post}, author={Drew Harwell}, year={2018}, month={Jun} }
@misc{Elizabeth Kim_2019, title={Brooklyn Landlord Wants To Install Facial Recognition Tech At Rent-Stabilized Complex: Gothamist}, url={http://gothamist.com/2019/03/25/facial_recongnition_building.php}, author={Elizabeth Kim}, year={2019}, month={Mar} }
@misc{Emmons_2016, title={Microsoft Pitches Technology That Can Read Facial Expressions at Political Rallies}, url={https://theintercept.com/2016/08/04/microsoft-pitches-technology-that-can-read-facial-expressions-at-political-rallies/}, journal={The Intercept}, author={Emmons, Alex}, year={2016}, month={Aug} }
@misc{Furfaro_Bain_Brown_2018, title={Inside Cuomo’s plan to have your face scanned at NYC toll plazas}, url={https://nypost.com/2018/07/20/inside-cuomos-plan-to-have-your-face-scanned-at-nyc-toll-plazas/}, journal={New York Post}, author={Furfaro, Danielle and Bain, Jennifer and Brown, Ruth}, year={2018}, month={Jul} }
@misc{Fussell_2019, title={Airbnb Has a Hidden-Camera Problem}, url={https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/03/what-happens-when-you-find-cameras-your-airbnb/585007/}, journal={The Atlantic}, author={Fussell, Sidney}, year={2019}, month={Mar} }
@misc{Gershgorn_2018, title={Taylor Swift used facial recognition to track her stalkers at a concert}, url={https://qz.com/1493149/taylor-swift-used-facial-recognition-to-track-her-stalkers-at-a-concert/}, journal={Quartz}, author={Gershgorn, Dave}, year={2018}, month={Dec} }
@misc{Haskins_2018, title={Juggalos figured out how to beat facial recognition}, url={https://theoutline.com/post/5172/juggalo-juggalette-facepaint-makeup-hack-beat-facial-recognition-technology}, journal={The Outline}, author={Haskins, Caroline}, year={2018}, month={Jul} }
@misc{Holmes_2017, title={These Colorful Patterns Trick Computer Facial Recognition to Fight Surveillance}, url={https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/aen5pz/countersurveillance-textiles-trick-computer-vision-software}, journal={Creators}, author={Holmes, Kevin}, year={2017}, month={Jan} }
@misc{Kofman_2016, title={Losing Face: How a Facial Recognition Mismatch Can Ruin Your Life}, url={https://theintercept.com/2016/10/13/how-a-facial-recognition-mismatch-can-ruin-your-life/}, journal={The Intercept}, author={Kofman, Ava}, year={2016}, month={Oct} }
@misc{Levin_2017, title={Face-reading AI will be able to detect your politics and IQ, professor says}, url={https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/sep/12/artificial-intelligence-face-recognition-michal-kosinski}, abstractNote={Professor whose study suggested technology can detect whether a person is gay or straight says programs will soon reveal traits such as criminal predisposition}, journal={The Guardian}, author={Levin, Sam}, year={2017}, month={Sep} }
@misc{Lewis_2018, title={“I was shocked it was so easy”: ​meet the professor who says facial recognition ​​can tell if you’re gay}, url={https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/07/artificial-intelligence-can-tell-your-sexuality-politics-surveillance-paul-lewis}, journal={The Guardian}, author={Lewis, Paul}, year={2018}, month={Jul} }
@misc{Liao_2018, title={New facial recognition system catches first imposter at US airport}, url={https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/24/17778736/facial-recognition-washington-airport-immigration-biometric-exit}, journal={The Verge}, author={Liao, Shannon}, year={2018}, month={Aug} }
@misc{Liao_2019a, title={IBM didn’t inform people when it used their Flickr photos for facial recognition training}, url={https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/12/18262646/ibm-didnt-inform-people-when-it-used-their-flickr-photos-for-facial-recognition-training}, journal={The Verge}, author={Liao, Shannon}, year={2019}, month={Mar} }
@misc{Liao_2019b, title={Creative Commons says copyright can’t protect your photos from ending up in a facial recognition database}, url={https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/14/18265826/creative-commons-photos-facial-recognition-database}, journal={The Verge}, author={Liao, Shannon}, year={2019}, month={Mar} }
@misc{Lizzie Dearden_2019, title={Man fined £90 after covering face during facial recognition trial in London}, url={https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/facial-recognition-cameras-technology-london-trial-met-police-face-cover-man-fined-a8756936.html}, journal={The Independent}, author={Lizzie Dearden}, year={2019}, month={Jan} }
@misc{Maharrey_2019, title={Washington Bills Would Ban the Warrantless Use of Facial Recognition Technology}, url={https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2019/02/washington-bills-would-ban-the-warrantless-use-of-facial-recognition-technology/}, journal={Tenth Amendment Center Blog}, author={Maharrey, Mike}, year={2019}, month={Feb} }
@misc{Mapi_2019, title={San Diego Has Been Turned Into A Massive Chinese-Style Public Surveillance Network}, url={http://massprivatei.blogspot.com/2019/03/san-diego-has-been-turned-into-massive.html}, author={Mapi}, year={2019}, month={Mar} }
@misc{Matt Field_2019, title={Concerned about facial recognition AI? What about behavior recognition software?}, url={https://thebulletin.org/2019/03/concerned-about-facial-recognition-ai-what-about-behavior-recognition-software/}, journal={Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists}, author={Matt Field}, year={2019}, month={Mar} }
@misc{Meng Jing_2018, title={Beijing turns to facial recognition to combat public housing abuses}, url={https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/2179819/beijing-turns-facial-recognition-combat-public-housing-abuses}, journal={South China Morning Post}, author={Meng Jing}, year={2018}, month={Dec} }
@misc{Ng_2019, title={With facial recognition, shoplifting may get you banned in places you’ve never been}, url={https://www.cnet.com/news/with-facial-recognition-shoplifting-may-get-you-banned-in-places-youve-never-been/}, journal={CNET}, author={Ng, Alfred}, year={2019}, month={Mar} }
@misc{Patrick Tucker_2017, title={Facial Recognition Coming to Police Body Cameras}, url={https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2017/07/facial-recognition-coming-police-body-cameras/139472/}, journal={Defense One}, author={Patrick Tucker}, year={2017}, month={Jul} }
@misc{Paul Hill_2019, title={Microsoft President says it’s “cruel” to not give governments facial recognition tech}, url={https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-president-says-its-cruel-to-not-give-governments-facial-recognition-tech}, journal={Neowin}, author={Paul Hill}, year={2019}, month={Feb} }
@misc{Pearson_2015, title={Churches Are Using Facial Recognition to Track Members, This Startup Says}, url={https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/z4mdv5/churches-are-using-facial-recognition-to-track-members-this-startup-says}, journal={Motherboard}, author={Pearson, Jordan}, year={2015}, month={Jun} }
@misc{Press_2017, title={Nest Labs shows off doorbell with Google’s facial recognition technology}, url={https://www.denverpost.com/2017/09/20/nest-labs-google-facial-recognition-hello-doorbell/}, journal={The Denver Post}, author={Press, Michael Liedtke | The Associated}, year={2017}, month={Sep} }
@misc{Ramona Pringle_2017, title={How Disney is using artificial intelligence to figure out exactly how much you enjoy its films}, url={https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/disney-ai-real-time-tracking-fvae-1.4233063}, journal={CBC}, author={Ramona Pringle}, year={2017}, month={Aug} }
@misc{Rubin_2019, title={Facial recognition overkill: How deputies cracked a $12 shoplifting case}, url={https://www.cnet.com/news/facial-recognition-overkill-how-deputies-solved-a-12-shoplifting-case/}, journal={CNET}, author={Rubin, Ben Fox}, year={2019}, month={Mar} }
@misc{Ryley_2016, title={The NYPD Is Kicking People Out of Their Homes, Even if They Haven’t Committed a Crime}, url={https://www.propublica.org/article/nypd-nuisance-abatement-evictions}, journal={ProPublica}, author={Ryley, Sarah}, year={2016}, month={Feb} }
@misc{Tim Cushing_2016, title={FBI Facial Recognition Expert Helps Denver PD Arrest Wrong Man Twice For The Same Crime}, url={https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20161015/07313535800/fbi-facial-recognition-expert-helps-denver-pd-arrest-wrong-man-twice-same-crime.shtml}, journal={Techdirt.}, author={Tim Cushing}, year={2016}, month={Oct} }
@misc{Tim Cushing_2018, title={London Metropolitan Police Deploy Facial Recognition Tech Sporting A 100% Failure Rate}, url={https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20181218/16562041265/london-metropolitan-police-deploy-facial-recognition-tech-sporting-100-failure-rate.shtml}, journal={Techdirt.}, author={Tim Cushing}, year={2018}, month={Dec} }
@misc{Waddell_2016, title={Half of American Adults Are in Police Facial-Recognition Databases}, url={https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/10/half-of-american-adults-are-in-police-facial-recognition-databases/504560/}, journal={The Atlantic}, author={Waddell, Kaveh}, year={2016}, month={Oct} }
@misc{Wernimont_2019, title={The Government Uses Images of Abused Children and Dead People to Test Facial Recognition Tech}, url={https://slate.com/technology/2019/03/facial-recognition-nist-verification-testing-data-sets-children-immigrants-consent.html}, journal={Slate Magazine}, author={Wernimont, Os Keyes, Nikki Stevens, Jacqueline}, year={2019}, month={Mar} }
Published 04-04-2019 02:00