Ethics of Facial Recognition Technology - Ethicapublishing.com

More documents

Recommendations

Info

When designing or implementing systems, computing professionals must attempt to ensure that the products of their efforts will be used in socially responsible ways… 1.7 Respect the privacy of others. Computing and communication technology enables the collection and exchange of personal information on a scale unprecedented in the history of civilization. Thus there is increased potential for violating the privacy of individuals and groups. It is the responsibility of professionals to maintain the privacy and integrity of data describing individuals. This includes taking precautions to ensure the accuracy of data, as well as protecting it from unauthorized access or accidental disclosure to inappropriate individuals. Furthermore, procedures must be established to allow individuals to review their records and correct inaccuracies. Members of the AITP (Association of Information Technology Professionals) pledge the following: In recognition of my obligation to society I shall: Protect the privacy and confidentiality of all information entrusted to me. To the best of my ability, insure that the products of my work are used in a socially responsible way. Finally the Software Engineering code of ethics includes the following: Software engineers shall act consistently with the public interest. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate: 1.3 Approve software only if they have a well-founded belief that it is safe, meets specifications, passes appropriate tests, and does not diminish quality of life, diminish privacy or harm the environment. The ultimate effect of the work should be to the public good. These are salient points and would seem to have a direct bearing on the development and deployment of facial recognition systems. Each of these codes specifically addresses privacy as a primary concern that should be preserved in all aspects of developing and deploying technology. Unfortunately these codes of ethics do not
provide an ethical framework which can be used to discern the ethics of facial recognition systems. Instead, the codes of ethics simply reduce to value judgments as those involved in the development and deployment of these systems may believe they are being used in socially responsible ways and that sufficient steps have been taken to protect the privacy of those subjected to the systems (Bowyer, 2003). The ethics of the claims regarding the performance and effectiveness of facial recognition systems by the media, and those companies selling the systems, merits some consideration. In a Time article about the use of facial recognition at Super Bowl XXXV the author, Lev Grossman, states, “The beauty of the system is that it is disguise-proof. You can grow a beard and put on sunglasses, and FaceTrac will still pick you out of a crowd” (Time 2001). While the claim sounds reassuring, in reality it is certainly not accurate as studies have shown. In a study conducted by NIST, changes in illumination, facial position, temporal (time between image captures), distance from the camera, facial expression, and the cameras used to capture images, were all found to adversely affect performance of these systems, sometimes to the point of being completely ineffective (NIST 2000). Tom Colatosti, chief executive of Viisage Technology Inc., made this claim after the September 11 th , 2001 terrorist attacks: "If our technology had been deployed, the likelihood is [the terrorists] would have been recognized." This claim is highly unlikely as only two of the 19 hijackers were known to the FBI and CIA and there is no photo database of terrorists (9-11 Commission 2005). Ethically questionable performance claims only serve to undermine industry credibility and trust. It is in the long-term self- interest of the purveyors of these systems to not misrepresent or mislead in regards to the performance and capabilities of facial recognition systems. Next there is the question of government invasion of privacy through the use of facial recognition technology. Current legal doctrine, as decided by the Supreme Court, holds that there is little or no expectation of privacy in public and thus there is no infringement of privacy by use of facial recognition in public places. This view does not account for the advancement of technology and the implications it portends for privacy. Just as technological advances required re-interpretation of legal doctrine concerning eavesdropping, which led to the Supreme Court‟s decision of a reasonable expectation of
Page 1 and 2: Ethics of Facial Recognition Techno
Page 3 and 4: attempting to monitor. Obtaining ph
Page 5: once again tested. The month-long t
Page 9 and 10: inevitability of these systems bein
Page 11 and 12: ACLU. “Drawing a Blank: “Tampa

Ethics of Facial Recognition Technology - Ethicapublishing.com

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?