Ban facial recognition in schools
Facial recognition technology in schools is racist, encourages government surveillance, punishes non-compliance and serves to profiteer from user data, a study has found. It warns against its use in educational institutions to better monitor compliance with distance rules in Corona times, for example.
"The use of facial recognition technology should be generally banned in schools. It has no positive impact on safety, but brings with it a whole series of serious problems," says study leader Shobita Parthasarathy, summarizing her findings. These include, above all, an exacerbation of racial discrimination and a breakdown of privacy, but also an institutionalization of state surveillance and a strengthening of the tendency to exclude students who think and look differently.
Not yet widely used
"We've been looking very closely at facial recognition technology right now because it's not very widespread at the moment and can do great harm, especially to vulnerable populations," the researcher explains. Those agencies and teachers who would seriously consider deploying such tools in light of the Corona pandemic should think twice. "If this technology is installed hastily without properly understanding its implications, it is unethical and very dangerous," Parthasarathy says.
Large-scale research project
Her study "Cameras in the Classroom" is part of a larger interdisciplinary research project that aims to take a closer look at the usefulness and benefits of various modern technologies. In addition to facial recognition using surveillance cameras, the project is also looking at metal detectors and biometric identification methods, for example.
"Some people believe that you shouldn't regulate a technology until you see with your own eyes what it can do. But if you look at technologies that have already been implemented, it's very easy to predict their potential social, economic and political impact and identify unintended consequences," says Molly Kleinman, director of the Poblic Policy Program (https://fordschool.umich.edu) at the Gerald R. Ford School, University of Michigan, where the study was done. Ann Arbor, presstext.com
The study, "Cameras in the Classroom" (PDF), is available online at: https://bit.ly/2FhSJtO
Video Security Special
In a few days, a special edition of the "SafetyForum". The publication is dedicated to the topic of video surveillance. The following topics are addressed in it:
- Surveillance cameras under test
- Video cameras: What about IT security?
- What is crucial in video surveillance
- Video based people counting
- Video planning: IEC 62676 series of standards - a practical example.
- Part 5 of the IEC 62676 series of standards contains helpful standards
- Technology change: from analog
to the IP world- Parking management with Big Data video analytics
- etc.
