Facial recognition technology 'scope creep' is upon us, experts warn
Experts are warning that facial recognition technology is expanding beyond its original stated purposes, a pattern known as scope creep. The concern is that systems deployed for one use are quietly being applied in ways the public was never told about.
Why this matters: Scope creep is how surveillance becomes normal before anyone votes on it. A camera goes in to catch shoplifters. Then it feeds a database. Then law enforcement gets access. Then the rules get looser. Nobody announced the full plan because there was no full plan — it just grew. That is the problem. Facial recognition does not stay where it is put. Once the infrastructure exists, the uses multiply. The people whose faces are in the system never agreed to most of what ends up happening with them.
Who should care: Privacy officers · Cybersecurity · General readers · Policy
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