Beside Leo's accessing the footage corruptly and the feds using it very wrongly as directed by the current admin I dont like corporations having that info either. I dont trust them to not have some database on us all. Private corporations are probably worse than corrupt Leo's and the feds.
there are facial recognition cameras in use 24/7/365...
walk into any retail store, you are on that set up.
any airport, any train station, and any other outdoor camera other than a flock.
we are being recorded each and every day..
again, if you didn't do anything wrong, then you have nothing to fear.
your own driver's license is "in the system", in case you didn't know it.
if you are ever in any trouble, the camera, somewhere, someplace, will search for your face.
who uses facial recognition technology
Facial recognition technology is used worldwide by governments, law enforcement agencies, private businesses, and everyday consumers. It scans and measures facial features from photos or video to verify or identify a person. [
1,
2,
3,
4,
5]
Law Enforcement and Government
- Police departments: Used to match surveillance footage or photos of suspects against booking databases and mugshots.
- Border control and airports: Used by customs agencies to screen boarding passengers and match travelers to their passports.
- Federal agencies: Used for security, investigations, and public safety monitoring. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Private Businesses and Retail
- Retail stores: Used by loss prevention teams to spot suspected shoplifters or repeat offenders.
- Banks and finance: Used to verify customer identities during mobile banking logins or secure transactions.
- Venues and casinos: Used to track excluded individuals or VIP guests. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Consumer Tech and Everyday Use
- Smartphone users: Used to unlock phones and authorize mobile payments (such as Apple's Face ID).
- Social media platforms: Used to suggest automatic name tags on uploaded group photos.
- Office buildings and schools: Used for attendance tracking or replacing traditional security key cards. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
how do privacy laws protect us
Privacy laws protect people by forcing organizations to be
transparent, request explicit consent, limit data storage, and restrict mass tracking when using facial recognition technology. Because facial data consists of permanent biological identifiers (biometrics) that cannot be changed like a password, regulations treat faceprints with much stricter rules than general personal data. [
1,
2,
3]
1. Mandatory Consent and Opt-In Rights
Privacy laws stop companies from secretly capturing facial data. [
1]
- Prior Permission: Laws like the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) require businesses to obtain a signed, written release before scanning anyone's face. [1, 2]
- Banning Data Sales: State regulations—including newer updates in Colorado and Texas—explicitly outlaw companies from selling, leasing, or trading your facial biometric templates to third parties. [1]
- The Right to Delete: Under comprehensive state frameworks like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), consumers have the legal right to discover if a company holds their faceprint and force them to permanently delete it. [1, 2, 3, 4]
2. Bans on Mass Surveillance and Scraping
Regulations target the tools used for tracking people across public spaces without cause. [
1,
2]
- No Database Scraping: The European Union AI Act strictly bans companies from scraping CCTV footage or internet photos to build facial recognition databases. [1, 2]
- Public Bans: Dozens of major cities, including San Francisco, completely ban local police and city agencies from deploying facial recognition software in public surveillance networks. [1]
- No Live Tracking: The EU completely prohibits law enforcement from using real-time public biometric tracking, except in strict, court-authorized emergencies like an active terrorist threat or a missing child search. [1, 2]
3. Purpose Limitation and Expiration Dates
Data cannot be held indefinitely or repurposed for hidden motives. [
1,
2,
3]
- Data Minimization: Companies are legally required to collect only the bare minimum facial data necessary to complete a specific task. [1]
- Destruction Timelines: Entities must publish clear schedules outlining exactly when data will be destroyed, such as immediately after a user deletes an app or terminates an employment contract. [1, 2]
- No Hidden Profiling: The EU AI Act bars organizations from using facial data to infer protected characteristics like race, political views, or religion, and bans "emotion recognition" systems in offices and schools. [1, 2]
4. Heavy Financial Penalties
Laws deter violations by making data misuse financially devastating. [
1]
- No-Cap Lawsuits: Under BIPA, individuals can sue companies directly for unauthorized biometric scans, resulting in automatic statutory penalties of $1,000 to $5,000 per violation without needing to prove actual financial harm.
- Global Revenue Fines: The EU AI Office can impose multi-million dollar fines against tech companies that deploy prohibited biometric systems