AUTOMATED FACIAL RECOGNITION SYSTEM (AFRS)

Working:

• Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS) works by maintaining a large database with photos and videos of peoples’ faces.
  
  
• Then, a new image of an unidentified person — often taken from CCTV footage — is compared to the existing database to find a match and identify the person.
  
  
• The artificial intelligence technology used for pattern-finding and matching is called “neural networks”.
  
  

Debate:

• Benefits: While fingerprints and iris scans provide far more accurate matching results, automatic facial recognition is an easier solution especially for identification amongst crowds.
  
  
• Concerns:
  • Government can abuse facial recognition technology, as it can be used as tool of control and risks inaccurate results.
    
    
  • India should take note of the ongoing privacy debate in the US. Indian citizens are more vulnerable in the absence of a Data Protection Law.