Facial Recognition Is Coming To Domestic Air Travel
(SF Gate, Sep 14, 2020)
For many months now, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and major international airlines have been using facial recognition technology to verify the identity of travelers on international trips. But now facial recognition procedures are starting to be tested on domestic travelers as the TSA, airlines and airports look for ways to make the check-in process more “touchless” in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
How Identification Technology Is Aiding The Refugee Crisis
(Borgen Magazine, Sep 14, 2020)
Advances in data collection and dissemination technologies have made it possible to identify, track and learn about individuals without ever meeting them in person. For the millions of refugees displaced by violence and civil conflict, this “identification technology” could aid their transition by providing resources, safety and even legal identification. However, imposing the issues created by “big data” information to vulnerable populations raises many ethical concerns regarding personal privacy and accessibility. This article will explore both sides of the debate while reflecting on organizations’ effectiveness in supporting refugees through technology.
Why The AI Industry Urgently Needs More Uncomfortable Conversations About BAME Representation
(Diginomica, Sep 14, 2020)
Bias in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and in all forms of autonomous and automated systems is a serious issue, but not just because of the obvious risk of automating socio-economic problems, racial discrimination, gender imbalances, and postcode lotteries (which can be proxies for profiling in open data). Automating them also creates a veneer of digital neutrality, pushing the underlying problems further and further away from transparency, audit, and explainability – and therefore from critical legal concepts such as liability.
IBM Pushes For US To Limit Facial Recognition System Exports
(ZD Net, Sep 14, 2020)
IBM has called for the US Department of Commerce to limit the export of facial recognition systems, particularly to countries that could potentially use it for mass surveillance, racial profiling, or other human rights violations. In a letter [PDF] to the Commerce Department, IBM highlighted the need for tighter export controls for facial recognition technologies that employ for what it referred to as "1-to-many" matching.
TikTok Was A Wasted Opportunity
(NY Times, Sep 14, 2020)
Creeping closer to resolving a monthslong saga over the future of TikTok in the United States, the Chinese video app looks likely to have a new American partner. TikTok will stay open in the United States. Probably. Behind the mess over TikTok were profound questions for Americans: What should we do about technology companies that can influence our understanding of the world — whether it’s TikTok or Facebook? And what should the United States do about a future in which technology is becoming less American?
Biometric Bribery - Inside Semlex’s Global Playbook
(I-AML, Sep 14, 2020)
But it has an outsized reach beyond Belgium’s borders. OCCRP investigations have found that it has used bribes, kickbacks and insider dealing to secure contracts around the world, inflating the cost of vital documents for ordinary citizens while lining the pockets of wealthy elites. In many of these countries, Semlex followed a similar playbook to forge a path into new markets. Executives would befriend high-level government officials or politically connected middlemen, promising to pay them for made-up services. Then the company would win lucrative contracts to supply the new biometric documents, structuring kickbacks as payments from the publicly funded contracts. Throughout, Semlex sought to cloak its actions in a veil of legal and financial secrecy.
Nonprofit Healthcare Organization With A Global Workforce Simplifies Security And Access To Enterprise Applications With BIO-key
(Bio-Key, Sep 14, 2020)
A Boston-based nonprofit health care organization, selected BIO-key's PortalGuard Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution to address their ongoing challenges with password resets and to improve authentication options to secure access to critical enterprise applications. PIH provides medical care and support in areas where the cost of healthcare is prohibitive to the community or geographic region. PIH considers quality health care as a universal human right and fights injustice, around the world, by providing care first to those who need it most.
