Facial Recognition Technology

Abstract

This chapter provides an introductory overview of the recent emergence of facial recognition technologies (FRTs) into everyday societal contexts and settings. It provides valuable social, political, and economic context to the legal, ethical, and regulatory issues that surround this fast-growing area of technology development. In particular, the chapter considers a range of emerging ‘pro-social’ applications of FRT that have begun to be introduced across various societal domains - from the application of FRTs in retail and entertainment, through to the growing prevalence of one-to-one ID matching for intimate practices such as unlocking personal devices. In contrast to this seemingly steady acceptance of FRT in everyday life, the chapter makes a case for continuing to pay renewed attention to the everyday harms of these technologies in situ. The chapter argues that FRT remains a technology that should not be considered a benign addition to the current digital landscape. It is technology that requires continued critical attention from scholars working in the social, cultural, and legal domains.

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