FR Is Going Far
September 6, 2021
Law enforcement officials are using facial recognition software and the array of cameras that cover the majority of the world to identify bad actors. The New York Times reports on a story that was used to track down a terroristic couple: “A Fire In Minnesota. An Arrest In Mexico. Cameras Everywhere.”
Mena Yousif is an Iranian refuge and Jose Felan is a felon. The couple were frustrated about the current state of the American law enforcement system and government, especially after George Floyd’s death. They set fire to buildings, including schools, stores, gas stations, and caused damage to over 1500. The ATF posted videos of the pair online, asking for any leads to their arrests. The ATF received tips as Felan and Yousif traveled across the US to the Mexican border. The were on the run for two weeks before they were identified outside of a motel in Texas.
Mexican authorities deployed a comprehensive facial recognition system, deployed in 2019, and it was used to find Felan and Yousif. Dahua Technology designed Mexico’s facial recognition system. Dahua is a Chinese company, one of the largest video surveillance companies in the world, and is partially owned by the its government. The US Defense and Commerce departments blacklisted Dahua for China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims and the trade war. Dahua denies the allegations and stated that it cannot control how its technology is used. Facial recognition did not catch Yousif and Felan, instead they were given a tip.
China is marketing surveillance technology to other countries, particularly in South America, Asia, and Africa, as a means to minimize crime and promote order. There are issues with the technology being perfect and the US does use it despite them:
“In the United States, facial recognition technology is widely used by law enforcement officials, though poorly regulated. During a congressional hearing in July, lawmakers expressed surprise that 20 federal agencies were using it without having fully assessed the risks of misuse or bias — some algorithms have been found to work less accurately on women and people of color, and it has led to mistaken arrests. The technology can be a powerful and effective crime-solving tool, though, placing it, for now, at a tipping point. At the start of the hearing, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, Democrat of Texas, highlighted the challenge for Congress — or anyone — in determining the benefits and downsides to using facial recognition: It’s not clear how well it works or how widely it’s used. As Ms. Jackson Lee said, “Information on how law enforcement agencies have adopted facial recognition technology remains underreported or nonexistent.”
Many governments around the world, including the US, seem poised to their increase the amount of facial recognition and tracking technology for law and order. What is interesting is that China has been a pacesetter.
Whitney Grace, September 9, 2021
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