(Source: Fox, Alexander (2021))
Legal and Ethical Concerns
Despite the widespread use of facial recognition technology (FRT), it faces significant opposition from the public particularly concerning the issues of privacy and data protection. One of the primary criticisms of FRT is the collection of sensitive personal information, which leads to the concern about security and protection of these data, and whether individuals have the right to opt out. According to Ryan (2023), the public fears that FRT could cause public places like restaurants or parks to start collecting personal information without individuals' knowledge or consent, resulting in a breach of privacy. Additionally, there are also concerns about misuse of FRT. Many worry that constant surveillance would infringe on individual's right to privacy and create an environment where people conformity out of fear of being watched or unfairly targeted. Lastly, deployment of FRT in law enforcement causes concern that certain demographic groups will be more likely to be targeted than others, and potentially lead to discriminatory practices. As a results, all these issues highlighted the need for stricter regulation of FRT, and the importance of transparency regarding data collection. However, legal and ethical issues weren't the only issue that FRT is currently facing, there is also a rising concern regarding the security measures of FRT.
Social Concerns
One of the major concerns with facial recognition technology (FRT) is that it has been shown to demonstrate bias against certain demographic groups. Benedict (2022) highlights numerous instances such as the case with Robert William, where the FRT inaccurately identifies him as the main suspect, leading to him being detain for about thirty hours. As a result, this was one of the many cases that demonstrate FRT bias, and inaccuracy in identify people of color. Due to this bias, it often leads to innocent individuals, particularly people of color, being detain or even arrested for crimes they didn’t commit. Additionally, FRT has the potential to be misuse for harmful purposes, such as cyberbullying. According to Lai and Rau (2021), there have been cases where individual misuse FRT to track and harass another individual online, which raises concerns about privacy and personal safety. Thus, if FRT is to become an integral part of our society, further research into AI training, law or regulation is required to address these essential issues.