The Dangers of Facial Recognition Software

Facial recognition software has the possibility to change public life completely. Countries and cities should be careful to consider the consequences of adopting the technology.

2 minute read

June 26, 2019, 10:00 AM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Security cameras on a building

Marc Nozell / Flickr

CCTV's are so common in the world today that it’s hard for a person to be sure if they are not being tracked by facial recognition software or not. Often without our knowledge, we might all be participating in a beta test of policing software that we never signed up for.

The temptation for police forces and states to use facial recognition technology is easy to understand. The technology is cheap and widely available, but it’s also far from proven. "A recent test of Amazon’s facial recognition software by the American Civil Liberties Union found that it falsely identified 28 members of Congress as known criminals, with members of the Congressional Black Caucus disproportionately represented," The Guardian reports. Some officials may be comfortable with those kinds of error rates, arguing that no arrest would be made without human intervention, but it’s easy to imagine a person who's wrongly been swept up into a criminal investigation feeling differently.

Even as the technology improves, as it likely will, there should be real concerns for privacy and who might be able to use this data. "It is not just governments who will be interested in the results. The software is freely available and cheap," The Guardian points out. Purveyors of ransomware, blackmailers, and other unscrupulous people have plenty of uses for it. It's crucial that laws be enacted quickly to protect the public and public life from this threat, according to the article.

Sunday, June 9, 2019 in The Guardian

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation