In our modern world, people are constantly monitored throughout their daily lives, including by cameras in public locations, as well as their own smartphones and other electronic devices. Many people do not realize the extent of the information about them that is being collected, analyzed, and resold, including how photos or other data may be accessed by law enforcement and used to investigate and prosecute crimes. Facial recognition technology has come under fire in recent years, and privacy and criminal justice advocates have raised concerns about how police officers and other law enforcement officials may use these systems to identify suspects, make arrests, and prosecute people for criminal offenses.
Concerns About Facial Recognition and AI
The facial recognition system that is most commonly used by law enforcement is provided by Clearview AI. This company has built a database of billions of photos that were gathered from the internet and other sources, including photos people have posted to social media. Its systems use artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to compare images of criminal suspects with photos in the database. When a person is identified in this manner, police officers may investigate them further, arrest them, and pursue criminal charges.
Clearview's practices have come under fire, since people whose photos were included in the database did not give consent to have their photos used in this manner or to have their information turned over to law enforcement. In some cases, people have been falsely identified by facial recognition systems, leading to wrongful arrests and criminal charges, as well as significant financial and emotional difficulties.
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