About Face: Algorithm Bias And Damage Control
(JD Supra, Nov 24, 2020)
As research continues to prove that AI is not an impartial arbiter of who’s who (or who’s what), various mechanisms are being devised to mitigate the collateral damage from facial recognition software. Legislation: Since 2019, several bills have been introduced in the House or Senate to address privacy issues and algorithm bias associated with facial recognition software, including the Commercial Facial Recognition Privacy Act, the Ethical Use of Facial Recognition Act, and the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act. While none of these bills has moved forward in the current congressional quicksand, their existence gives us hope for more legislative momentum in the future.
Detroit To Vote On Controversial Surveillance Tech
(Gov Tech, Nov 24, 2020)
The Detroit City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on contracts for gunshot detection technology and the installation of hundreds of traffic-mounted cameras, two technologies that have spurred public outcry over concern they could be discriminatory or infringe on privacy. Detroit police are seeking approval of a four-year, $1.5 million contract for the use of the sound sensor system ShotSpotter. The software detects and alerts police of gunfire and is making a return in the city as part of a federal crackdown on violence.
New Government Website Warns Tech Firms Over China Risk
(City AM, Nov 24, 2020)
The site, which carries the slogan “China. See the Potential. Know the Challenge.”, is designed to help UK firms negotiate the ethical, legal and commercial challenges when expanding into China or accepting investment from Chinese companies.
Council Member Steve Fletcher Continues Fight Against Facial Recognition Tech
(MN Daily , Nov 24, 2020)
Use of facial recognition technology is on the rise in the United States, and so are attempts to ban it. Ward 3 Council member Steve Fletcher, who represents Marcy-Holmes and other neighborhoods, wants to stop that use in Minneapolis before it can begin. While the ordinance to ban this technology is still in its drafting stages, Fletcher is working alongside the city council, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Minnesota, the Minneapolis city attorney and technology experts. Cities like Portland, Boston and New York City already banned facial recognition technology in recent months after increased use to identify protesters during social justice demonstrations.
Lawmakers, Experts Split on CBP's Proposed Biometric System Advancement
(Next Gov, Nov 24, 2020)
Customs and Border Protection filed a new rule proposal in the Federal Register that would advance its biometric entry-exit system used to verify identities at ports beyond the pilot stage, and experts and lawmakers are weighing in on the implications of the new rule. While in many ways the proposal, published Thursday, is an inevitable next step in a process to track who goes in and out of the United States that dates back to 1996, several lawmakers and privacy experts suggest the government isn’t ready to move forward with the deployment of facial recognition technologies, which is the mode of biometric collection CBP wants to use for entry-exit.
India’s First Facial Recognition System To Go Live On November 27
(Times of India, Nov 24, 2020)
Project panoptic, India’s first facial recognition technology (FTR) tracker is set to go live on November 27, as per the Internet Freedom Foundation. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has also made its own plans to set up an Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS) with an estimated budget of Rs 308 crore. The program will create a national database of photographs, to swiftly identify
Portland Council Continues Private Meetings With Attorney
(Press Herald, Nov 24, 2020)
The Portland City Council once again met behind closed doors with the city’s attorney Monday to discuss its legal rights and obligations as it implements a slate of citizen initiatives approved by voters. It was the third time since the Nov. 3 election that councilors huddled with their attorney outside of public view to discuss various interpretations – and the associated legal risks – of how to enact five voter-approved ordinances, including a minimum wage increase, rent control and other reforms.
Court Faces Up To Challenge Of Biometric Security Issue
(China Daily, Nov 24, 2020)
A Chinese court's ruling on Friday in the country's first case involving facial recognition has drawn widespread public attention. In April 2019, Guo Bing, an associate professor of law at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, had purchased an annual card for two persons at Hangzhou Safari Park, requiring verification of both persons' fingerprints before entering the park. But the park later unilaterally replaced "fingerprint recognition" with "facial recognition" as the requirement for entering the park, earning Guo's dissatisfaction. The doctorate holder in law sued the park for breaking the contract with consumers and also asked them to delete his personal information and to compensate him.
Houston Airports Add Facial Recognition Tech to Arrival Process
(Gov Tech, Nov 24, 2020)
The Bayou City is officially the only city in the U.S. to have two international airports equipped with facial comparison technology for international arrivals. "Simplified" equipment, in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, is now at both Houston's Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby Airports, sending a message to the nation that we are "a center for innovation and technology," according to Mayor Sylvester Turner.
CBP Introduces Simplified Arrival at MIA
(CBP- DHS, Nov 24, 2020)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced today the implementation of Simplified Arrival at Miami International Airport (MIA). Simplified Arrival is an enhanced international arrival process that uses facial biometrics to automate the manual document checks that are already required for admission into the United States. This process provides travelers with a touchless process that further secures and streamlines international arrivals while fulfilling a longstanding congressional mandate to biometrically record the entry and exit of non-U.S. citizens.
CBP Launches Simplified Arrival at IAH
(CBP- DHS, Nov 24, 2020)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Houston Airport System today announced the launch of Simplified Arrival at George Bush Intercontinental Airport delivering a seamless and more touchless travel experience for travelers returning from an international trip. CBP officer using Simplified Arrival A CBP officer in Houston uses Simplified Arrival to process an arriving international traveler. Simplified Arrival is an enhanced international arrival process that uses biometric facial comparison technology to automate the manual document checks that are already required for admission into the United States.
CBP Introduces Simplified Arrival at Boston Logan
(CBP- DHS, Nov 24, 2020)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) today announced the implementation of Simplified Arrival at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). Simplified Arrival is an enhanced international arrival process that uses facial biometrics to automate the manual document checks that are already required for admission into the United States. This process provides travelers with a touchless process that further secures and streamlines international arrivals while fulfilling a longstanding Congressional mandate to biometrically record the entry and exit of non-U.S. citizens.
CBP To Introduce Biometric Facial Comparison to Secure and Streamline Travel At Cross Border Xpress and Tecate
(CBP- DHS, Nov 24, 2020)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced today the implementation of biometric facial comparison technology at the pedestrian border crossings in Cross Border Xpress (CBX) and Tecate, CA. The technology will enhance the identity verification process for lawful entry into the United States. The biometric facial comparison process occurs only at a time and place where travelers are already required by law to verify their identity by presenting a travel document. When a traveler arrives at the pedestrian lanes at CBX or Tecate, he or she will pause for a photo at the primary inspection point. A CBP officer will review and query the travel document, which will retrieve the traveler’s passport or visa photo from government holdings. The new photo of the traveler will be compared to the photo previously collected. The facial comparison process only takes a few seconds and is over 97 percent accurate.
CBP Enhances Biometrics for Non-U.S. Travelers Entering and Exiting the United States
(CBP- DHS, Nov 24, 2020)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced today a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) comprehensive biometric entry and exit system that applies to non-U.S. citizens traveling to and from the United States. This rulemaking process provides the public an opportunity to provide the U.S. Government comments about the proposed amendments to the rule.
Delta Launches First Domestic Digital Identity Test In U.S., Providing Touchless Curb-to-gate Experience
(Delta, Nov 24, 2020)
Delta customers at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport will soon have the option to move through the airport faster and more easily. In partnership with Transportation Security Administration, Delta is launching the first facial recognition option for domestic travelers using a digital ID made up of a customer’s passport number and TSA PreCheck® membership.
Chinese Court Rules In Favor Of Biometric Data Privacy Complaint As Regulations Tighten
(Biometric Update, Nov 24, 2020)
A court in China has ruled that the mandatory collection of face biometrics from members of a wildlife park in Hangzhou is illegal, Sixth Tone reports, amid a suddenly-changing data privacy context in the country. The court also ruled that the Hangzhou Safari Park must pay a 1,038 yuan (roughly US$160) partial refund of the plaintiff’s membership fee and travel expense compensation.
China’s Guidelines For Facial Recognition Payments Stress Biometric Data Protection
(Biometric Update, Nov 24, 2020)
he Payment & Clearing Association of China has introduced its first guidelines for facial recognition payments, addressing user consent and biometric data collection and storage, writes Caixin Global. Biometric payment terminals are gaining popularity in emerging markets such as India and China, with global transaction values estimated at $254 million in 2024, compared to just $84 million in 2019. According to the new rules, companies need to encrypt facial image data and stored it separately from details such as bank numbers and other personal information. Merchants and other companies receiving the transaction are not allowed to retain facial image information.
China’s Surveillance State Sucks Up Data. U.S. Tech Is Key To Sorting It.
(NY Times, Nov 24, 2020)
Intel and Nvidia chips power a supercomputing center that tracks people in a place where government suppresses minorities, raising questions about the tech industry’s responsibility.
Roiled by Election, Facebook Struggles to Balance Civility and Growth
(NY Times, Nov 24, 2020)
Employees and executives are battling over how to reduce misinformation and hate speech without hurting the company’s bottom line.
