Eumundi Voice - Issue 89, 21 March 2024

What can the internet do with your face?

Around 2018 Facebook developed a facial recognition tool that can ‘scrape’ any face off the internet. It uses an algorithm to identify who a face belongs to and once a face is identified it can search and find everything about an individual. The photo could include anyone’s face, even if it was randomly snapped in a crowd.

Can you imagine the implications? Perhaps some random stranger takes a photo with you in the background together with someone you did not want to be seen with. Facebook made a choice not to release the tool as they realised it could have superpower possibilities if used incorrectly and be dangerous to society. They thought beyond the company's profits and considered the global impact on citizens.

Clearview AI also developed the same technology around the same time, initially staying in the shadows. It originally had 30 million face images and is currently scraping hundreds of thousands of facial images a day. Claiming a 98.6% facial recognition success rate, they chose to secretly sell the technology to law enforcement in the USA and around the world.

There are now other companies that provide the same technology for a fee and countries are choosing it for various uses. In China for example, facial recognition was initially used for safety and security purposes. Once the infrastructure was in place it became obvious the technology could be used for other curious uses including:

• Ticketing jaywalkers automatically.

• Publicly shaming people for going out in their pyjamas.

• Monitoring the use of toilet paper in public bathrooms to catch thieves.

We should be aware of the images we place on the internet and who we allow to take our photos.