Facial recognition is a technology that can identify individuals from photographs or video footage. It is often used for security purposes, such as identifying criminals or verifying the identity of passport applicants. However, it can also be used for other purposes, such as finding missing people, monitoring crowd behaviour, or targeted advertising. Facial Recognition technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated and prevalent and its applications are growing.
However, there are some challenges that need to be addressed, such as ensuring accuracy, identifying and preventing biases and false alarms, and preventing misuse and privacy violation. There are also privacy concerns that need to be considered, as facial recognition can be used to track individuals without their knowledge or consent.
Overall, facial recognition is a powerful tool that can be used for a variety of purposes. It is important to ensure that it is used responsibly and that privacy concerns are addressed properly.
The use of facial recognition technology has increased dramatically in the last few years. This exciting and strong area of growth is quickly becoming a real-world reality, accelerated by the need for many industries to embrace contactless experiences in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Facial recognition technology is used daily by many of us through interactions such as unlocking our smartphones and biometrics at the bank and airports.
Applications of Facial Recognition
To demonstrate how widespread and vital this form of technology has become, here are the 6 most common uses of facial recognition technology:
1. Law Enforcement: Facial recognition technology is used by law enforcement agencies to identify and track criminals, and ultimately to prevent crimes. This technology can be used to scan faces in a crowd and match them to a database of known criminals.
2. Retail and Advertising: There are commercial opportunities being seized with respect to advertising, particularly with facial recognition technology. Advertising companies use facial recognition technology to target ads to specific demographics. This allows companies to better tailor their advertising campaigns to reach their desired audience. A good example of this can be found in the Philippines, where a start-up, AdMob, installed tablets in taxis with facial recognition technology. Based on an individual’s appearance and mood, the software can select the most appropriate advertisements to display. Furthermore, by tracking the eyeball movements of the passengers, AdMob can tell when a passenger becomes disengaged and can change its program and strategy accordingly.
3. Policing and National Security: Facial recognition technology is having a profound influence on law enforcement agencies with policing, prevention and security. Video surveillance systems all around the world are now being installed with face recognition systems and linked to biometrics data and criminal databases. This allows these agencies, for instance, to scan surveillance camera footage in real-time and identify if there are any known criminals or persons of interest in crowd situations.
4. Social Media and Apps: Facial recognition is a technology that is being used more and more by social media companies and app developers. Facebook was one of the first to use facial recognition to identify users in photos that were uploaded and shared. Snapchat Uses facial recognition to add filters to photos that would change the user's facial features and appearance. The number of apps using facial recognition is growing exponentially. Banking apps are starting to use facial recognition to identify customers or for authentication. Authentication and user verification methods that use facial recognition will become more commonplace in the future.
5. Smartphones and smart technology: Facial recognition technology is being implemented in smartphones and other smart technology, such as smart TVs, smart doors or gates,s and smart cities. This technology allows users to access and control their devices without needing a remote control or access their properties without using keys. Facial recognition also creates safer environments and improves the overall experience for citizens living in smart cities.
6. Border and Access Control:
Facial recognition technology is being used in a variety of ways, including border control and access control. Border Agencies use facial recognition to match biometric data and passport photos to the human faces in front of them, allowing for a quick and seamless transition through passport control. Access control using facial recognition is also being used by an increasing number of companies all around the world for improving security as well as enhancing their customer experience.
Facial Recognition is the Future
Facial recognition is becoming more prevalent, with people using it for a variety of purposes such as security, checking in for flights, and even buying food. Over the next decade, it is likely that this list will grow as facial recognition becomes more integrated into our day-to-day lives. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a need for contactless solutions across a wide range of industries, meaning that we will all be using facial recognition in various aspects of our lives in the future.