Facial-Recognition Research

Context:

Although facial recognition software proves to be useful in certain scenarios, what happens if this technology falls into the wrong hands. Researchers must recognize that unethical facial recognition practice is fundamentally dangerous.

What is facial recognition, and how does it work?

• Facial recognition is a biometric technology that uses distinguishable facial features to identify a person.
• Facial recognition is a subcategory of biometrics. It’s made possible by advanced computing components, such as processors and memory, and Artificial Intelligence tools, such as machine learning.
• Facial recognition is when a device uses a camera to identify a face for security or other purposes.
• Today, it’s used in a variety of ways from allowing people to unlock their phones, go through security at the airport, purchase products at stores, etc.
• Today, the world is inundated with data of all kinds, but the plethora of photo and video data available provides the dataset required to make facial recognition technology work.
• Facial recognition systems analyze the visual data and millions of images and videos created by high-quality Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, smartphones, social media, and other online activities.
• Machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities in the software map distinguishable facial features mathematically, look for patterns in the visual data, and compare new images and videos to other data stored in facial recognition databases to determine identity.

History of facial recognition

• Facial Recognition research started in 1964 in the USA for an intelligence agency by a team led by Woodrow Wilson Bledsoe, mathematician and computer scientist.
• Initially, it involved manual matching of the facial characteristics assisted by computers.
• The difficulties then encountered in the 1960s overhead rotation, tilt, angle, facial expression, skin, and slight variation continue to be problematic even in the 21st century.
• It becomes more difficult in the case of unruly crowds with fast and unpredictable movements.
• The first time Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) was used in the USA in a crowd was in January 2001 in Tampa, Florida.

What’s the Law on Facial Recognition?

• The direct implementation of such technologies has not been recognized by law.
• As such, there is a need for having in place detailed legal frameworks passed by the Parliament of India which authorize the implementation and maintenance of such automated facial recognition technologies.
• Currently, in India, there is no specific law that authorizes the deployment of these technologies.
• The Indian Information Technology Act, 2000 being India’s mother legislation on the electronic format is completely silent on facial recognition. Also even under the rules passed under the Information Technology Act, 2000, there has no reference to facial recognition.
• As such, for long-term deployment of these technologies, it will be imperative, that the Parliament should pass strong laws to not just enable legal implementation of such technologies but also the law should establish the various instances where such technologies can be so implemented.