"Transport Facial Recognition: Ombudsman raises concerns about potential liberties and fallacies"
In a stark contrast, Claire Hédon, France's Defender of Rights, is vocal about her reservations towards the widespread application of facial recognition technology. Expressing her views on May 6, she argued, "I'm all for a society that values fundamental rights and liberties. The risks associated with these facial recognitions are multi-faceted (...) There's a risk of infringing on our freedoms and there's also a risk of errors."
In the United Kingdom, retailers have employed facial recognition technology to nab shoplifters. The Defender of Rights also touched upon the minister's sentiments advocating its usage, mentioning its utilization during the Olympic Games. However, Claire Hédon was quick to correct, "There was no facial recognition during the Olympic Games. What was used were crowd movement analyses. That's what wasn't authorized by the legislature."
"No problem" at Airports
While the use of facial recognition in transportation, as the minister suggested, might seem acceptable in airports, Claire Hédon vehemently disagrees: "There's already a form of facial recognition when you don't pass in front of the border police but in front of a machine that recognizes you. But, in that case, it's individual."
The potential danger, she warns, lies in extending its reach beyond airports to the general public. "We're talking about something that's common in airports that we're trying to extend to the streets, but we're not talking about the same thing." She reiterated, "There are risks for the individual's freedoms and there are risks of errors with the facial recognition we propose for the streets."
The widespread application of facial recognition technology could lead to concerns about privacy invasion, lack of consent, opaque data practices, surveillance, chilling effects, false positives, misidentifications, algorithmic bias, discrimination, and legal and regulatory gaps. These challenges threaten civil liberties, breed mistrust, and hinder social harmony.
Claire Hédon's arguments emphasize the need for ethical limits, transparency, and comprehensive regulation to ensure the responsible and equitable use of this technology.
- Despite the acceptance of facial recognition in airports, Claire Hédon argues against its widespread application in public areas, stating, "We're talking about something that's common in airports that we're trying to extend to the streets, but we're not talking about the same thing."
- In her views on policy-and-legislation, Claire Hédon points out the potential dangers of extending facial recognition technology beyond airports, stating, "There are risks for the individual's freedoms and there are risks of errors with the facial recognition we propose for the streets."
