Facial recognition, a risk for individual freedoms

Microsoft calls for regulation of facial recognition

While the technology of facial recognition is no longer science fiction, some are now calling for a look at of its use. It is the Director of Legal Affairs of Microsoft that revives the debate. He thus declares himself in favor of a regulation of facial recognition technologies. According to him, they pose a risk on the right to privacy and individual freedoms.

In a blog post, Brad Smith calls on the US government to lay the legal foundation of the use of facial recognition. "Imagine a government tracking each of your moves in the past month, without your permission or without your knowledge," he wrote. "Imagine a database of all the people who attended a political rally."

Companies could have the opportunity to closely monitor visitors or clients without their knowledge, and to use the information gathered for important decisions, For example, according to Brad Smith, film universes such as "Minority Report" or "State Enemy", or the one portrayed in George Orwell's famous "1984" anticipation novel, are "on the verge of becoming possible"

"These questions increase the responsibility of the technology companies that create these products," he says. "They also call for thoughtful government regulation and the establishment of standards defining an acceptable use of facial recognition."

"It may seem unusual for a business to seek regulation of its products, but there are many markets in which thoughtful regulation contributes to a healthier environment for both consumers and manufacturers, "says the head of Microsoft.

The Californian giant has used facial recognition for years for various tasks such as the sorting of digital photos . This technology can also unlock an iPhone, access a bank account, or help police find a missing child or terrorist.

At the end of June, it made it possible to identify more quickly the shooter of the newspaper Capital Gazette which killed five people near Washington in the United States. But for many defenders of individual liberties, which point to its unreliability, facial recognition is rather synonymous with "Big Brother."