On Monday, I walked into a conference center and,instead of flashing an ID card with my name and photo, I positioned myself in front of a head-height camera the size of my fist. Seconds later, the screen read:"PLEASE ENTER." No one scanned the digital pass. My face might already be an enty ticket. Hair-raising? Cool?
As facial-recognition access points are everywhere in public places including airports and concert locations, you might be wondering how you're supposed to feel about it. Companies using face-matching software say it is speedy, convenient, and con-tactless for customers. Most also stress that it's only a choice. Meanwhile, lawmakers are looking to tighten regulations around use of this kind of technology because of privacy concerns
The answer comes down to the individual. It helps if you know the company: Do you want this company storing your personal information? What happens to your face image once you no longer need the service?
Facial recognition works by creating a map of your face. The map contains your unique measurements -the distance between your forehead and chin, or between your eyes. These data are then changed into code called a face print. It's how your iPhone's Face ID identifies you or how Google Photos can group photos of your kids
A company that stores your face data could keep it. Or the data could be acquired by a company that has an entirely different purpose than what you agreed to. This kind of misuse is a guess. However you can't always track where your face ends up: One company sold facial-recognition tech based on billions of images from social media and other sources
While you have the ability not to choose facial recognition, it could eventually come at a cost Think of how the cash lane at a toll stop is almost always far slower than the E-ZPass lanes. Facial recognition will only become more common in our travels and entertainment,as well as other areas such as education and banking. We've just begun to understand the advantages and disadvantages
