3D Biometric Facial Recognition Comes To UK

Roland Piquepaille writes "In the UK, where the recent Queen's speech about national identity cards generated lots of -- mostly negative -- coverage, another potentially invasive technology is being tested with very few criticism. For example, several police departments are now testing a 3D biometric facial recognition software from Aurora, a company based near Northampton. The use of facial recognition 'is rapidly becoming the third forensic science alongside fingerprints and DNA,' according to a police officer who talked to BBC News for 'How your face could open doors.'" (More below.)

"The company claims its software is so sophisticated it can make the distinction between identical twins. And if the civil liberties groups continue to be neutral, this technology could also be deployed in airports or by private companies. Even banks are thinking to put cameras in their ATM machines to identify you. The good thing is that you will not have to remember your PIN. On the other hand, as with every new technology, is it safe for your privacy and is it possible to hack the system? Read more before making your decision."

I am so sad...

[Anonymous Coward]

Now I will have to end up looking like Mrs. Doubtfire whenever I want to go anywhere :(

Your face opens many doors...

[Alwin Henseler]

if you're pretty enough [uklinux.net]...

I want to have a pin to remmember.

[aepervius]

Because with all those biometric recognition system/ATM, all a junky robber would need off would be to cut my finger/eye/head whatever and try to match it against the ATM. With pin code they at least need you alive to tell them what the pin is.

Effect on fashion

[kahei]

My first thought was, 'where should I paint the stripes on my face to confuse such a system?'. My next thought was 'actually, painting stripes on my face might cause worse problems, such as being called 'stripey' by small kids'.

All the same, it would be pretty cool if measures to avoid face recognition became a mark of toughness ('I'm a scary criminal, me, I have to avoid cameras') and then of fashion -- everything that's adopted by genuinely scary people winds up being worn by college kids 5-10 years later, after all. The result could be an interesting arms race between software designers and makeup artists.

Now I'm off to order my David Blunkett latex mask. Heh heh.

'How your face could open doors.'

[Agret]

'How your face could open doors.'

Yo momma's so ugly that doors open whenever they see her.

facial recognition

[pedicabo]

The reason we Brits aren't getting excited about this advert for a software company is very simple. It will need to get government backing. That means it will drown in red tape long before it hits the streets. The IT record of the UK government is a long list of what not to do.

Re:Easy to defeat

[Anonymous Coward]

You're correct. Losing 5 kilograms, (for people in US, 5 kg is approx equal to 200 pounds), can change your face totaly. That's why we are constantly losing friends and not able to recognize relatives who have just lost _several_ kilograms. It's not easy, but these days as people are really, really fat, it's possible to lose 5 kilograms of fat just from your face in three months.

Re:When they outlaw balaclava's...

[Anonymous Coward]

Will police occasionally stop you and ask you to remove your stetson so that CCTV can calm down?

You're only joking, but stetson misuse is indeed a huge problem in the UK, gangs of armed youths and trigger happy pensioners often roam the streets under the protection of stetson hats. In fact, it's a little known law in the UK that any school teacher or qualified butcher may commandeer a stetson from a member of the public if they are at risk from violent dogs (or wolves, although that claim has never been tested in court).

The Stetson Regulation Act due to appear in 2008 will likely reduce these incidents, making stetson bearers require a license. Which can of course be revoked if misused.