towards a revolution in facial recognition, but at what cost?

VSlearview AI, a facial recognition company, has gained notoriety for its ability to identify individuals from online photos. With a database of more than three billion photos collected from the Internet, Clearview AI has revolutionized the use of facial recognition by law enforcement. Founded in 2017, Clearview AI has quickly become a key player in the field of facial recognition. As of February 2020, more than 600 police departments in North America were already using their software. Clearview’s technology allows a photo to be compared with its extensive database to identify individuals for police investigations and surveillance. According to a recent report from Yahoo Finance, the facial recognition market is growing exponentially, with a projection of $26.83 billion by 2032. This expansion is fueled by increased adoption, particularly in sectors like as security and retail. However, persistent concerns about privacy and high costs hamper its expansion. Clearview AI’s use of facial recognition has not been without controversy. In 2021, the company was accused of illegally collecting photos from social media without users’ consent. This practice has led to numerous lawsuits and restrictions in several countries. One notable incident occurred on November 25, 2022, when a 28-year-old man was arrested in the US state of Louisiana following a misidentification by Clearview AI’s software. Although his weight and height differed greatly from the wanted suspect, he was detained for several days before being released on December 1, 2022. This false positive case exposed the risks associated with the technology, including racial bias, man who was wrongly identified because of the color of his skin. Clearview AI, founded by Hoan Ton-That, a 33-year-old entrepreneur of Australian and Vietnamese origin, openly claims its goal is to help law enforcement. For him, “I created this world-famous indirect facial recognition technology to help make communities safer and enable law enforcement to solve heinous crimes against children, the elderly and other victims of unscrupulous acts. Facial recognition has become a lucrative market that has attracted many technology companies in recent years. Facebook and Amazon have also invested in this area, although these companies have taken steps to regulate the use of their technology. In June 2020, Amazon announced a one-year suspension of the use of its “Rekognition” software by police, in response to protests against police violence and racism in the United States. IBM and Microsoft have also taken similar positions. They have frozen the sale of their facial recognition software until strong federal regulations are in place. In Morocco, the close collaboration between the National Commission for the Control of the Protection of Personal Data (CNDP) and the General Directorate of Information Systems Security (DGSSI) illustrates a common commitment to securing sensitive data. In August 2019, the CNDP implemented a seven-month moratorium to develop strict regulations on the use of facial recognition, in consultation with public, private stakeholders and experts. Clearview AI illustrates the advances and challenges of facial recognition. While technology offers powerful tools to law enforcement, it poses fundamental questions about privacy. It is essential that strict regulations be put in place to govern its use and protect the rights of individuals. Future debates and developments in this area will determine how this technology will be integrated into our societies, while respecting individual freedoms.