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Facing the Future

Facial recognition technology - once a thing of science fiction - is already with us. But are laws and procedures keeping up with the technology?

Facial recognition technology - once a thing of science fiction - is coming to a screen near you. It’s already helping to smooth our travel experiences and assisting police to track and arrest suspects. Facial recognition offers alternatives to fingerprints, passwords and PINs. So where will the technology improve our security, and where will it β€˜nudge’ our behaviour? What does it mean for society when corporations can increasingly recognise us as individuals? Are laws and procedures keeping up with the technology – particularly when it’s abused or it goes wrong? Plus - are there warnings in the widespread way the technology is being applied In China? Owen Bennett Jones and his guests discuss how facial recognition is quietly changing the way we live.

(Photo: Facial recognition system showing a blue interface with a human head and biometrics data. Credit Maxiphoto/Getty Images)

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Sat 19 Aug 2017 11:06GMT

Contributors

Clare Garvie - Associate Professor, Georgetown University Center on Privacy and Technology

Arun Ross - Professor in Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Michigan State University

Tony Smith - Former head of UK border security

Josh Chin - Wall Street Journal reporter in China

Broadcasts

  • Fri 18 Aug 2017 08:06GMT
  • Fri 18 Aug 2017 17:06GMT
  • Fri 18 Aug 2017 23:06GMT
  • Sat 19 Aug 2017 03:06GMT
  • Sat 19 Aug 2017 11:06GMT

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