You Have Been Biometricized

www.dvorak.org

The Wonderful World of Disney

A software engineer visited Disneyland, and went on a ride, the theme park offered him the photo of himself and his girlfriend to buy – with his credit card information already linked to it. He noted that he had never entered his name or information into anything at the theme park, or indicated that he wanted a photo, or alerted the humans at the ride to who he and his girlfriend were – so, he said, based on his professional experience, the system had to be using facial recognition technology. ~ dvorak.org

Got a Driver's License?

The faces of more than 120 million people are in searchable photo databases that state officials assembled to prevent driver’s-license fraud but that increasingly are used by police to identify suspects, accomplices and even innocent bystanders in a wide range of criminal investigations.

Thirty-seven states now use ­facial-recognition technology in their driver’s-license registries, a Washington Post review found. At least 26 of those allow state, local or federal law enforcement agencies to search — or request searches — of photo databases in an attempt to learn the identities of people considered relevant to investigations. ~ Washington Post

Wait until we all have these:

Photo: Loic Le Meur

Google will not allow apps that implement facial recognition on its Google Glass product, the company says, citing privacy concerns.

Developers have pointed out though that it is possible to load apps - which Google calls "Glassware" - onto the wearable system without needing Google's permission. Those could then communicate with any of a growing number of services which say they can connect a name with a face once given a photo. ~ The Guardian

A Two Edged Sword

We will soon be immersed in a world in which we are scanned, cataloged, filed, and searched.  This technology will be both a boon and a bane to most of us.  As illustrated by the recent NSA scandal,  existing law for the most part does not adequately address this new technology.  It is highly doubtful that the people who ensured postal mail would be private would have readily acquiesced to digital mail not being so.  Yet consider the Boston Marathon bombing if there were three hundred people wearing glasses that were recording and streaming live video feeds of the event.  What do you think?  Would you want your "Google Glasses" to identify people on the street, along with businesses, directions and landmarks?