Facial-recognition Moratorium Back On EU Agenda
(EU Observer, Jul 03, 2020)
The European Parliament's committee on civil liberties backed on Thursday (2 July) a moratorium on facial recognition for law-enforcement purposes - following the EU data watchdog earlier this week, which backed a ban on this technology in public spaces.
Blockchain A Stronger Option For American Election Modernization
(Tech Xplore, Jul 03, 2020)
The term "blockchain" is familiar to anyone who has delved into so-called cryptocurrency. It represents an incorruptible digital ledger of transactions associated with a given digital coin in this technology. However, the notion of such a ledger might be useful in a whole range of human affairs, such as electoral and other voting systems. Work published in the International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning suggests that a blockchain might be viable in the U.S. voting system.
Hanover Insurance Fights Payout Tied to Clearview Face-Scan Suit
(Bloomberg Law, Jul 06, 2020)
Hanover Insurance Group Inc. shouldn’t have to cover losses tied to Clearview AI’s alleged misuse of consumers’ biometric data, including face scans, the company said in court papers filed last week. Alleged violations of the Illinois BIometric Information Privacy Act don’t fall within the plan purchased by Wynndalco Enterprises LLC, an IT services provider accused of aiding Clearview, according to the papers.
Google Chrome Is Working On Biometric Authentication For Payment Autofill
(Android Police, Jul 06, 2020)
A few months ago, we spotted Chrome working on Windows Hello integration for payment autofill authentication, sparing you from digging out your physical card to enter your CVC over and over. We've now found out that Windows isn't the only place where Google wants to make access to payment cards easier and more tightly integrated. The company is also working on system-wide authentication for Android (and possibly Chrome OS, Linux, and macOS). Sadly, the feature isn't fully live on any iteration of Chrome for Android yet.
Unmasking The Potential And Risks Of Facial Recognition Technologies
(CTech, Jul 06, 2020)
While FRT is ostensibly as useful a tool in combating crime as facial masks are in stopping the spread of Covid-19, its inherent ethical issues and quickly changing science could muddy the waters for its future uses
(ISS Africa, Jul 06, 2020)
When several United States (US) companies withdrew their facial recognition software products amid concerns about flaws, biases and misuse in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, did leaders in sub-Saharan Africa take note? Have events in the US served as a clarion call for governments to ensure that regulations are in place before the rollout of what many see as one of the most intrusive forms of surveillance?
How Can We Ban Facial Recognition When It’s Already Everywhere?
(Vox, Jul 06, 2020)
Facial recognition is having a reckoning. Recent protests against racism and police brutality have shined a light on the surveillance tools available to law enforcement, and major tech companies are temporarily backing away from facial recognition and urging federal officials to step in and regulate.
Claim Filed Against Russia At European Court Of Human Rights For Mass Surveillance During Moscow Protest
(Meduza, Jul 06, 2020)
Opposition politician Vladimir Milov and public figure Alyona Popova have filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over the mass use of facial recognition surveillance during a rally in Moscow on September 29, 2019. The protest in question saw more than 20,000 people rally in support of protesters and political prisoners arrested during the lead up to the 2019 Moscow City Duma Elections. The authorities had sanctioned the protests, but attendees were forced to pass through metal detectors equipped with CCTV cameras.
Amid Reckoning On Police Racism, Algorithm Bias In Focus
(Tech Xplore, Jul 06, 2020)
While the protests have focused on police misconduct, activists point out flaws that may lead to unfair applications of technologies for law enforcement, including facial recognition, predictive policing and "risk assessment" algorithms. The issue came to the forefront recently with the wrongful arrest in Detroit of an African American man based on a flawed algorithm which identified him as a robbery suspect.
When The Police Think Software Is Magic
(NY Times, Jul 06, 2020)
A lot of technology is pretty dumb, but we think it’s smart. My colleague Kashmir Hill showed the human toll of this mistake. Her article detailed how Robert Julian-Borchak Williams, a black man in Michigan, was accused of shoplifting on the basis of flawed police work that relied on faulty facial recognition technology. The software showed Williams’s driver’s license photo among possible matches with the man in the surveillance images, leading to Williams’s arrest in a crime he didn’t commit. (In response to Kash’s article, prosecutors apologized for what happened to Williams and said he could have his case expunged.) Kash talked to me about how this happened, and what the arrest showed about the limits and accuracy of facial recognition technology.
TSA Files Difference in Response to ICAO Staff Screening Standard
(AC-NA, Jul 06, 2020)
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) advised ACI-NA that it filed a Difference with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Secretary General in response to the Annex 17 Standard and Recommended Practice (SARP) for contracting states to “establish measures to ensure that persons other than passengers, together with items carried, are screened prior to entry into airport security restricted areas.”
ACI-NA Govt Affairs Updates
(AC-NA, Jul 06, 2020)
The Senate likely will be crafting a new economic-relief bill this month, with hopes of getting it through Congress and to the President’s desk by early August. We encourage you to reach out to your Senators and House members ASAP about the urgent need for $13 billion in additional airport emergency relief in the next COVID-19 bill. We suggest you highlight the new safety and cleaning activities underway at your facilities, as well as the economic impact the global pandemic has had on budgets, projects, and employment at the airport. You also may want to join forces with other airports in your state in dealing with Senate offices. More details about the $13 billion request can be found here and here.
