This technology of identification of individuals analyzes the biometric characteristics of the human face, and works thanks to the development of complex mathematical processes and matching algorithms.
The facial recognition in recent years it has evolved exponentially. It is very rare that we do not yet have a device with facial recognition, because it is already incorporated in any computer with Windows Hello and IR camera, any last generation Android device, or the already popular [sistema Face ID] of the new iPhone X. Facebook, with 1,450 million active users worldwide, employs the same automatic face recognition and labeling system to users in photographs.
Facial recognition and its advantages
This individual identification technology analyzes the biometric characteristics of the human face. In its beginnings, it was based on simple geometric models, but today its level of sophistication is very high, thanks to the development of complex mathematical processes and matching algorithms.
Facial recognition systems can be of two types: based on each of the facial features (distance between eyes, shape of nose and mouth…) or photometric, based on the geometry of the entire face.
The advance of this technology has aroused the interest of various markets and sectors, and its implementation in the universe of smartphones has introduced it not only in companies, but also in homes.
In this way, it is already possible to unlock a mobile phone through facial recognition, to authorize payments in our purchases. Orlando Airport, for example, has incorporated software to streamline the flow of international passengers, and security forces are beginning to use it to locate missing persons or capture escaped criminals.
The controversial news of facial recognition
Even so, this practice also has its dangers, if misused, and may also give rise to conflicts with fundamental rights. Freedom and privacy are often compromised when AI is combined with collected personal data, and biometric data of the human face, although in many cases it has been voluntarily disclosed to third parties.
The giant Google he just won this January 1, 2019 a trial in which he was accused of collecting data stored in Google Photos photos.
Another technological colossus that has been affected by the controversy is Amazon. The American Civil Liberties Union made a petition to bring the multinational company before the law for providing facial recognition technology to the police of different states of the United States. A priori, it was not something negative, the problem arose when they discovered that mainly affected more vulnerable groups and communitiesspecifically, people of color and non-white immigrants.
In conclusion, this new technology can offer many opportunities for progress as long as it does not lose sight of the fact that, like any progress, it must be developed by and for people, respecting their rights and individual freedom.
