Facial recognition system Facial recognition technology (FRT)

What is facial recognition?

^[1] defines face recognition as a biometric software application capable of uniquely identifying or verifying a person by comparing and analyzing patterns based on the contours of a person's face^[2].

Simply put, each person has a unique facial structure. Special software is able to analyze it, comparing it with information in the database for the subsequent identification of who you are.

How does facial recognition technology work?

The main disadvantage of facial recognition technology is the deterioration of the quality of recognition when

• deterioration of illumination;
• changing the position of the head or angle.

There are several approaches for creating a facial recognition algorithm.

An empirical approach was used at the very beginning of the development of computer vision. It is based on some of the rules that a person uses to detect a face. For example, the forehead is usually brighter than the central part of the face, which, in turn, is uniform in brightness and color. Another important sign is the presence of parts of the face in the image - nose, mouth, eyes. To determine the faces, a significant reduction is made in the area of ​ ​ the image where the presence of the face is assumed, or perpendicular histograms are built. These methods are easy to implement, but they are practically unsuitable in the presence of a large number of foreign objects on the background, several faces in the frame or when changing the angle.

The following approach uses invariant features characteristic of facial imaging. It is based, as in the previous method, on empirics, that is, an attempt by the system to "think" as a person. The method identifies the characteristic parts of the face, its border, change in shape, contrast, etc., combines all these features and verifies. This method can be used even when turning your head, but with other faces or a heterogeneous background, recognition becomes impossible.

The next algorithm is the detection of faces using patterns set by the developer. A person is represented by a certain template or standard, and the purpose of the algorithm is to check each segment for the presence of this template, and the check can be carried out for different views and scales. Such a system requires a lot of time-consuming calculations.

All modern facial recognition technologies use systems that learn using test images. For training, databases are used with images containing faces and not containing faces. Each fragment of the studied image is characterized as a feature vector by which classifiers (algorithms for determining an object in a frame) determine whether a given part of the image is a face or not.

Technologically, systems can sometimes be very different in terms of facial recognition, but they all have roughly general principles of operation.

Step 1: Face Detection
To begin with, the camera will detect a person's face, whether he is alone or while in the crowd. The face is best detected at the moment when a person looks directly at the camera, but modern technological advances also allow you to detect the face in situations where a person does not look directly at the camera (of course, within certain limits).

Step 2: Facial Analysis
Then a photograph of the face is taken and its analysis begins. Most facial recognition solutions use 2D images instead of 3D volumetric images, as they can more easily map 2D photos to public photos or those available in the database. Each face is composed of distinguishable landmarks or nodal points. Each human face has 80 nodal points. Facial recognition programs analyze nodal points, such as the distance between your eyes or the shape of your cheekbones.

Step 3: Convert Image to Data
After that, the analysis of your face turns into a mathematical formula. Your features become a numeric code. Such a numeric code is called a faceprint. Like the unique structure of a thumb print, each person has their own face print.

Step 4: Find Matches
Next, your code is compared to the facial fingerprint database. This database contains photos with identifiers that can be compared.

The FBI has access to more than 641 million photos, including 21 government databases such as the DMV. Another example of a database that many have access to is Facebook photos. Any photos marked with a person's name become part of Facebook's database.

The technology then determines if your exact data matches what's in the database. The result of this is the identification of a person with the provision of additional information (full name, address, etc.).

Where is facial recognition used?

Face recognition technologies are used in a wide variety of areas^[3]:

• Ensuring safety in crowded areas;
• security systems, prevention of illegal entry into the territory of the facility, search for intruders;
• face control in the segment of catering and entertainment, search for suspicious and potentially dangerous visitors;
• verification of bank cards;
• online payments;
• contextual advertising, digital marketing, Intelligent Signage and Digital Signage;
• photographic equipment;
• forensics;
• teleconferencing;
• mobile applications;
• search for photos in large photo databases;
• marking people in photos on social networks and many others.

Apple plans to use the facial recognition system as an unlock for the phone - a selfie taken by the owner of the phone with a front camera will be compared to a pre-loaded photo reference.

Although facial recognition technologies may seem like something futuristic, they are already actively used in a variety of directions. Here are some amazing uses for this technology.

Device security
Some apps use facial recognition to protect your data. Even a secure password cannot protect your accounts and information from experienced hackers, so people decided to resort to facial recognition technologies. These apps require them to show your face to unlock your smartphone or access personal data.

Identification of genetic disorders
There are special medical applications such as Face2Gene and DeepGestalt that use facial recognition to detect genetic disorders. They analyze faces and compare them with the database of faces of those people who have various violations.

Shoplifting
Many stores are equipped with facial recognition systems that highlight people as a threat if they stole something from stores. Such a system can identify a shoplifter and notify the store owner of his past tricks, even if such a thief has never been to this store before. While such a system can provide significant benefits to shopkeepers, the effectiveness of such systems is often questioned. If an innocent person is marked as a thief, then it can affect his life.

Buying alcohol
Some grocery stores and bars in the UK use facial recognition to determine if a customer has enough years to be eligible to buy alcohol. Grocery stores allow customers to use a self-test system without the need for an additional passport-checking employee. If the system considers that the client is less than 25 years old, then he will have to present a passport for verification.

Safety in schools
Face recognition is beginning to be introduced in schools. One school in Sweden uses FRT to test attendance in class. Schools in the US, particularly in New York, are beginning to test the use of facial recognition technology as an "early warning system" against threats from individuals such as sex maniacs. The technology can also recognise 10 weapons to prevent acts of violence in schools.

Use in airlines
Airlines like Delta and JetBlue use facial recognition to identify passengers. Biometric facial scanning is optional but allows passengers to use their faces as a ticket, saving time and reducing the cost of checking tickets.

Apps That Age You
Has your social media feed been filled with the elderly in the last few months? The FaceApp age filter, which uses facial recognition to age your face, has gained traction in the world of social media. Unfortunately, there are concerns that the data he collects on individuals are not adequately protected.

Articles on Biometrics and Video Analytics Systems

• Video Analytics Systems - Solutions and Project Catalog
• Information Security - Biometric Identification - Solutions and Projects Catalog
• Biometric Market Today
• Biometric identification (Russian market)
• National Biometric Platform (NBP)
• Biometric Identification (Global Market)
• Biometric identification technologies
• Biometrics myths
• A brief history of biometrics
• Biometrics and Border Control
• ACS
• Biometric Time and Attendance Systems
• Video surveillance systems
• Video analytics
• Authentication systems
• Information Security - Fraud Detection System (Fraud)

News on the topic Facial recognition systems (in Russia)

2023: MISIS, HSE and Sberbank create technology that is 30 times faster than others to recognize faces on video

MISIS, HSE and "" Sber created a technology that is 30 times faster than others recognizes faces in the video. This development became known on December 8, 2023. More. here

2022: Boom in facial biometrics solutions begins in Russia

The company RecFaces, which develops biometric solutions for business, on April 29, 2022 announced the identification of a trend gaining momentum in the Russian market. Analysts of the company found that the demand for facial biometrics solutions began to grow rapidly in Russia, and the maximum interest in these software products is observed in industries such as finance, industry and commercial real estate. RecFaces experts recorded that the growth in demand for facial recognition solutions in the first two decades of April 2022 alone amounted to more than 80% compared to April 2021. RecFaces customer data was used for analysis.

According to J'son and Partners Consulting, the global biometric services market will grow to $40 billion by 2022, and in Russia it is estimated at more than $300 million. Russian developers have created software products for biometric identity identification in the financial sector, transport infrastructure, and other industries. Biometric identification solves a number of industry problems in the field of physical security, allows you to identify unwanted visitors and reduce the risk of incidents.

In April 2022, due to the tense political situation in the world, the need to improve the level of security in offices and enterprises has increased significantly. But the increase in the number of requests is associated not only with security tasks, the number of requests aimed at working with the client, improving the convenience of service, especially in the financial sector, has also grown significantly. RecFaces specialists analyzed the growth dynamics of the number of customers from different industries in April 2022 and revealed that the number of clients from the financial industry increased by more than 120%. Impressive indicators were also recorded in other industries. The number of customers among manufacturing companies grew by more than 60%. The demand for biometric solutions in the field of commercial real estate also increased significantly, the number of clients among innovative A + class offices increased by more than 70% in April this year, which is a record figure for this sector.

{{quote 'author = said CEO of RecFaces Tamara Morozova.|The market for facial biometrics is actively growing, and at the end of April 2022, due to the difficult political situation, we have the opportunity to observe a real boom in biometric solutions in the Russian market. Facial biometrics has become even more popular among Russian companies, and the demand for personal identification solutions is growing at a gigantic pace. According to preliminary estimates, in the coming year the biometric systems market will actively develop and its growth may be more than 50%, " }}

Russia is one of the leaders in the facial biometrics market in the world. The Russian market is actively moving from one-time implementations state projects to facial biometrics as a ubiquitous, widespread technology. The corporate sector is constantly increasing the number of implementations, and in the near future it will significantly overtake state segment the volume of implementations.

2020: Banks in Russia launched facial recognition system at the entrance to branches

On November 23, 2020, it became known about the appearance of facial recognition systems at the entrance to Russian bank branches. One of the first such technology was introduced by Alfa-Bank - he installed it in four offices. In the coming years, the credit institution intends to launch the system in more than 300 branches. Read more here.

2019

A court in Russia allowed the authorities to monitor the population with the help of facial recognition systems

In November 2019, the Savelovsky District Court of Moscow dismissed the claim of a resident of the capital of Alyona Popova, who demanded that the use of facial recognition system in the work of surveillance cameras be declared illegal. The court concluded that surveillance is not an interference in the privacy of citizens. Read more here.

In Russian fitness clubs appeared facial recognition system

On November 8, 2019, ANO "National Fitness Connection" announced the start of the introduction of facial recognition technology in fitness clubs. The service was developed by NtechLab based on its own FindFace algorithm. Read more here.

Rostelecom launches facial recognition system at ATMs

On November 8, 2019, it became known that ATMs with face recognition function will appear in Russia. The corresponding technology is created by Rostelecom, which is the operator of the Unified Biometric System (EBS) and intends to use it in a new project. Read more here.

Coffee shops in Russia have introduced a facial recognition system to study customer habits

On November 1, 2019, it became known about the start of testing|facial recognition system in the network of coffee shops "Pravda Coffee" and OneBucksCoffee. The establishments have introduced the cloud service Ivideon Faces to learn customer habits. Read more here.

How the facial recognition system works in the Moscow metro

On September 11, 2019, it became known about the launch of a facial recognition system to pay for travel at the Sukharevskaya station of the Moscow metro. Read more here.

Moscow will establish the facial recognition system of protesters. It will become the largest after China

In early September 2019, it became known about a contract in the amount of 260 million rubles, which the Moscow Department of Information Technologies (DIT) concluded with Sitronics for technical support of mass events. It is planned to create a facial recognition system of rally participants. Read more here.

How many suspects helped to detain the facial recognition system in Moscow

On June 27, 2019, the results of the test operation of the facial recognition system became known. With the help of 1000 "smart" cameras installed outside the entrances of residential buildings, 90 people were detained. Read more here.

Police in Russia start using facial recognition cameras

On May 22, 2019, it became known about the use of wearable cameras with facial recognition by Russian police. Devices for the Ministry of Internal Affairs were developed by NtechLab. Read more here.

News on the topic Facial recognition systems (in the world)

2024: EU passes law banning facial recognition systems from working in public

On March 13, 2024, the European Union passed the "Artificial Intelligence Act." The document aims to ensure security when using AI and respect fundamental rights while stimulating innovation. The law, among other things, prohibits the operation of AI-based facial recognition systems in public places. Read more here.

2023: A new kind of robbery using face recognition technology is gaining momentum in the US

In early April 2023, it became known that in the United States there were more cases of bank thefts using the technology of unlocking smartphones in the face of their owners.

The robbery scheme boils down to the fact that the attacker gets acquainted with his future victim in one way or another. This can happen in some public place, for example, in a bar or club, over the Internet or just on the street. Then the offender offers to drink a cocktail, which in fact is a mixture of various narcotic substances. After the victim is unconscious, the attacker steals bank cards, cash and other valuables. In addition, the offender is trying to unlock the victim's smartphone from the image of his face and transfer all available funds through the applications of banks and financial organizations.

According to FoxNews, the sharp increase in such crimes was announced by law enforcement agencies in New York. Investigators linked dozens of incidents to two separate groups of suspects. The amount of theft in some cases was in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Moreover, at least three deaths related to drug overdoses during such robberies have been recorded. One of the deceased was John Umberger, a 33-year-old political consultant from Washington: about $25 thousand was stolen from his accounts. Pathologists found fentanyl, cocaine, lidocaine and ethanol in his system. The death ended the fatal acquaintance with the unknowns of 25-year-old Julio Ramirez, from whom the criminals stole about $20 thousand. In the same circumstances, 35-year-old Catherine "Katie" Gallagher, a fashion designer who dressed famous personalities, including Lady Gaga, died.^[4]

2022: Apple, Google and Microsoft switch to password-free authorization

May 5, 2022, and Apple Google Microsoft announced that they are switching to no authorization on password all mobile, dextic platforms and in. browsers Messages appeared on the official websites of the American corporations. PIN The company plans to implement a single authorization standard using a fingerprint, face scan or code from 2023. Read more here

2021

The European Parliament approved a ban on the use of facial recognition systems by the police

In early October 2021, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the need to introduce a ban on the use of automatic face recognition systems in public places in the EU.

Explaining the decision, the European Parliament said that the use of AI by law enforcement agencies carries various risks, including opaque decision-making, discrimination, invasion of privacy, problems with the protection of personal data, human dignity, and freedom of speech and information.

These potential risks are exacerbated in the law enforcement and criminal justice sector, as they can affect the presumption of innocence, fundamental rights to the freedom and safety of the individual, as well as the effectiveness of legal protection and fair trial, the European Parliament noted.

In addition to calling for a ban on facial recognition systems for law enforcement purposes, the resolution calls for a permanent ban on the use by law enforcement agencies of technologies for analyzing other human features, in particular gait, fingerprints, DNA, voice and other biometric and behavioral data.

As part of the resolution, the European Parliament explicitly raised concerns about facial recognition services such as Clearview AI, whose database contains more than three billion images that were illegally collected from social media and other services.

The resolution passed is not binding, but it demonstrates the willingness of MPs (377 voted yes, 248 no, 62 abstained) to support upcoming bills such as the Artificial Intelligence Act.

The European Commission's proposal for the bill limits the use of remote biometric identification, including facial recognition technology, in public places, except when data is used to combat the most serious crimes, such as kidnapping and terrorism.^[5]

China bans commercial use of facial recognition systems without people's consent

On July 28, 2021, the highest court in China published a judicial clarification establishing the boundaries for the use of facial recognition technology by companies in China.

The interpretation allows companies to use facial recognition technology in their products, but prohibits forcing people to use it in applications to access various services. In public places, companies can violate individual rights if their use of facial recognition technology violates relevant laws and regulations. Companies must first obtain the consent of users before collecting information about the person.

Companies could also face charges of violating personal rights if they fail to provide customers with another alternative to facial recognition to access public spaces or online services. However, the rules do not apply to situations involving public safety, health emergencies and other crises, according to interpretation.

Yang Wanming, vice president of the Supreme People's Court, told a news conference on July 28, 2021 that the interpretation is partly a reaction to the growing phenomenon of Chinese companies abusing facial recognition tools. Cases have become more frequent in the courts when companies collect information about a person without consent or force customers to agree to collect information about a person.

Some retailers use contactless facial recognition technology to gather information about consumers without their consent, and then offer them different ads based on their gender, age or mood. These actions seriously violate the rights and interests of users, "said Yang Vanming.

China is completing the development of a law on the protection of personal data, and the decree itself will enter into force on August 1, 2021.^[6]

Canon office installs cameras to recognize smiles

In mid-June 2021, Canon installed cameras with artificial intelligence-based "smile recognition" technology in the offices of its Chinese subsidiary Canon Information Technology. Cameras only allow smiling workers to enter rooms or make appointments, ensuring every employee is always 100% happy. Read more here.

In the EU countries will introduce additional restrictions on the use of AI in video surveillance and video analytics systems

On April 15, 2021, it became known that the European Parliament is preparing amendments to legislation prohibiting the use of artificial intelligence for mass video surveillance of people and assessing social behavior. The exception is military systems.

Planned restrictions:

• prohibiting the use of AI systems to manipulate people's behavior, conducting an assessment of social behavior, except when necessary to ensure public safety.
• Remote biometric identification systems in public places (for example, facial recognition system) will be able to be implemented only with the consent of the authorities.
• AI applications, the use of which may be associated with great risks, will have to undergo a special check before implementation.
• "High-risk" AI systems will include those on which a person's safety and life may depend (for example, self-driving cars or systems for remote surgery), as well as his rights and democratic freedom.

Countries entering EU the country will have to form appropriate bodies for testing, certification and inspection of AI systems. Companies developing or providing incorrect AI services prohibited by law information can be fined up to 4% of their income [^[7]

US Army introduces military facial recognition system at checkpoint

In early April 2021, it became known that the US Army is developing a new system of biometric cameras for|face recognition of the military at the checkpoint. The new software will compare images taken by the camera with a pre-created gallery of approved faces. The corresponding tender for the development of technology has been announced. Read more here.

RealSense ID Facial Recognition System

In early January 2021, Intel announced the release of a new face recognition appliance that can be used in retail stores to simplify payment transactions, organize access to premises, etc. Read more here.

2020

For the first time, companies were banned from using facial recognition systems in the United States

In early September 2020, it became known that Portland became the first city in the United States where non-state companies were banned from using facial recognition systems. The ban applies to all private enterprises, government agencies, as well as individuals, when it comes to "places of public use." The details are here.

British court bans police from facial recognition systems

On 11 August 2020, the UK Court of Appeal ruled that South Wales Police had illegally used facial recognition technology, a violation of human rights. Now the police are prohibited from using these technologies.

In a case brought by human rights campaigner Ed Bridges, which is backed by human rights group Liberty, the court ruled that South Wales Police violated the right to privacy under the European Convention on Human Rights. Moreover, the court ruled that data protection procedures, as well as the measures necessary to eliminate the potential for the technology to discriminate on the grounds of race or gender, were not properly followed.

The suit, filed by Bridges in 2019, was initially dismissed by High Court judges. However, Bridges appealed the decision to the Court of Appeal, where his appeal was upheld on three of the five grounds.

Bridges noted:

This technology (facial recognition system) is an intrusive and discriminatory mass surveillance tool, "-. For three years now, South Wales Police have been using it against hundreds of thousands of us, without our consent and often without our knowledge. We should all be able to use our public spaces without being subjected to repressive oversight.

Liberty's lawyer Megan Goulding called the verdict a "major victory in the fight against discriminatory and repressive facial recognition."

Facial Recognition System Commissioner Tony Porter, who makes sure the system works in accordance with codes, said:

If there is to be an ethical and evolutionary process for the legal use of automatic facial recognition (AFR) technology by the state, then it is important that the public trust the technology, its legal and regulatory control, and the integrity of the efforts of the police themselves.

He added that the court's decision and findings are a key step in this evolutionary process. South Wales Police noted it would not appeal the decision.^[8]

Facial recognition systems banned in Boston

On June 25, the authorities of the American city of Boston (Massachusetts) voted to impose a ban on the use of facial recognition systems. Thus, already in several cities of the mentioned state, including Springfield, Cambridge, Somerville, as well as in San Francisco (California) there is a similar ban. Read more here.

Microsoft tried to sell facial recognition technology to US authorities

The company Microsoft tried to sell its facial recognition technology to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA USA) in 2017, when it itself publicly called for the development of norms in the field of use of this technology. American ^[9] emails through an open lawsuit filed last October that related to negotiations between Microsoft^[10] tried^[11].

As indicated in emails between September 2017 and December 2018, Microsoft privately invited DEA agents to its office in Reston, Virginia, to demonstrate a facial recognition system, and the DEA later tested the technology. The emails also report that the DEA raised concerns about buying the technology, fearing criticism from the public when the FBI used similar technology at the time.

Facial recognition technologies violate Americans' right to privacy and disproportionately show bias against other races, critics say.

"It's bad that Microsoft has tried to sell dangerous technology to law enforcement agencies tasked with leading the war against racism, but the situation is getting worse. Even after a belated promise not to sell video surveillance technology to police, Microsoft declined to say whether it would sell the technology to federal agencies such as the DEA, "said ACLU senior attorney Nathan Freed Wessler.

Representatives of the DEA and Microsoft declined to comment on this situation.

Amazon announced the suspension of the use by the US police of its own facial recognition technology

Amazon announced the suspension of the use of its own facial recognition technology by the US police, according to the Associated Press.

On June 10, 2020, the world's largest retailer announced that it advocates strict control over the use of facial recognition technologies. Amazon previously actively sold its Rekognition facial recognition system, including to police departments and other law enforcement agencies in the United States. For organizations that use facial recognition to combat illegal human traffic and to search for missing children, access to the technology will remain, the company said.

The House of Representatives received a bill on police reform. The document provides for a ban on the use by federal law enforcement agencies of face recognition technology in real time.

Amazon bans police officers from using its Rekognition program for facial recognition

This is stated in the blog of the company^[12]. Amazon explained: it is necessary that the US government begins to introduce "stricter rules" that can regulate facial recognition systems and technologies. They clarified that the company is ready to help the authorities in this.

According to the media, Amazon believes that the American government, using facial recognition systems, violates human rights and freedoms.

IBM is leaving the market facial recognition systems

IBM decided to withdraw from the facial recognition systems market and called for a "national dialogue" over their use by law enforcement agencies. According to IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, the company "no longer offers universal facial recognition systems and analysis software."

IBM's decision was made in the wake of police interest in facial recognition technologies related to mass demonstrations in the United States.

In an open letter to the United States Congress, Krishna explained IBM's withdrawal from the facial recognition systems market and announced his intention to "work with Congress to ensure equity and racial equality, initially focusing on three key policy areas: police reform, responsible use of technology, enhanced skills and educational opportunities" ^[13][14]

"IBM strongly opposes the use of any technology, including facial recognition technologies offered by other providers, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms, or any other purpose not consistent with our values and principles of trust and transparency. We believe it is time to start a nationwide dialogue on whether and if so how facial recognition technologies should be used in local law enforcement, "the statement said.

LG launched a blockchain system for face payments for stores and cafes

At the end of April 2020, LG CNS launched a blockchain payment system with face recognition. First, the technology worked in the company's own canteen to assess its effectiveness and benefits. Read more here.

China introduced standards for facial recognition systems

In mid-March 2020, China introduced new standards for applications that collect biometric data, including for facial recognition systems.

Chinese researchers and developers have decided to scrutinize facial recognition technology after several scandals erupted in 2019, including over data breaches and the deep-fake app Zao. As a result, China has updated recommendations for biometric data collection and consent requirements.

Initially, personal data security standards, which came into force in 2018, were China's response to European GDPR specifications. The latest updates to the law, which come into force on October 1, stipulate that users must actively consent to the collection of biometric data using a pop-up window, prompt or other means. Service providers should also inform users about the purpose, method and scope of data collection, and offer other information for study. In the updated standards, companies are also encouraged to keep biometric information separate from identity information, and several data processing clarifications are offered, including third party access.

Chinese app makers have been heavily criticized by users and the government for uncontrolled data collection. Research conducted by Comparitech in December found that China is the worst at protecting biometric data in almost every way. In November 2019, the first lawsuit was filed in China regarding facial recognition systems, when law professor Guo Bing sued a wildlife park for introducing this technology without notification and consent of visitors.^[15]

Pharmacies have facial recognition system to fight drug addicts

In mid-January 2020, facial recognition systems appeared in Shanghai pharmacies to combat drug addicts. People buying prescription drugs at the terminal must verify their identity before receiving the drug. Such a system is supposed to prevent potential offenders from receiving prescription drugs in order to then turn them into materials for illegal drugs.

The system scans both pharmacists and patients. In addition to identifying drug abusers, it should prevent health professionals from conspiring with buyers to illegally sell drugs containing psychotropic substances or tranquilizers. In China, the problem of drugs obtained from drugs is especially acute, and it is very difficult to stop this activity due to the high prevalence and availability of such drugs. For example, ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, found in cold and allergy medications, is a key component of crystal methamphetamine.

Shanghai anti-drug government agencies are pleased with the first terminal tests and plan to fully cover all medical institutions in the city in the first half of 2020. According to China News, the facial recognition system is already used in 31 health organizations in seven districts of the city and has conducted more than 300 scans.

Terminals for dispensing prescription drugs have become another example of the use of facial recognition technology in China. By successfully implementing security applications, China is pushing the new technology into health and education.

According to a report by iiMedia Research, in 2019, about 201 million Chinese signed an agreement to recognize faces when contacting government agencies. It is expected that by 2022 the number of this group will exceed 760 million people.^[16]

EC proposed to temporarily ban the use of face recognition technology

The European Commission is considering the possibility of banning the use of face recognition technology in public places for up to five years in order to develop ways to prevent potential abuses of this technology during this time, reports Euractiv EC^[17].

According to the document at the disposal of the resource, the European Commission does not exclude the introduction of tightened rules to protect the personal data of EU citizens and their rights to privacy. EU countries will also have to establish supervisory authorities that will monitor compliance with the law.

The duration of the ban can range from three to five years, during which the community will develop a methodology for assessing the effects of technologies and measures to reduce the risks of their application. Exceptions may be made for scientific research and safety projects.

2019

San Diego turns off the state facial recognition system

In mid-December 2019, the court ruled that the platform face recognition used by more than 30 state units () San Diego California will be suspended on January 1, 2020. The decision came after a lengthy campaign by civil rights groups. More. here

Facial recognition at all U.S. airports

(DHS) U.S. Department of Homeland Security wants to amend current regulations and begin requiring all travelers, including citizens USA and legal permanent residents of the country, to be photographed entering and leaving any U.S. airport. The current rule states that any travelers passing through airports located in the "country of freedom" can be tested for facial recognition^[18][19]

The rule does not currently apply to U.S. citizens and green card holders, but DHS recently made clear that they are forced to take this step to prevent a number of individuals from trying to use documents to travel to the U.S. for fraudulent purposes. In addition, the new rule will allow DHS^[20] to identify criminals who may be wanted and trying to leave the United States, as well as give them information about known criminals and suspects. DHS intends to begin implementing a biometric entry-exit control system that uses facial recognition of travelers, including U.S. citizens and legally resident citizens throughout 2020.

When facial recognition was first proposed to be implemented as a security measure at airport premises on U.S. soil, the government promised Congress and the people that technology that some people find intrusive would not be required as a condition of travel. However, a recent application from DHS means this is no longer the case, and starting next year, every person passing through the airport will have to undergo a facial recognition scan.

According to the DHS position, facial recognition checks increase the overall level of security and prevent violations of rules such as visa delinquency, and with their help, it is possible to promptly inform the relevant authorities about cases when the offender wants to flee the country. Facial recognition checks implemented for each person will make airports safer, but it also poses a privacy risk. DHS confirmed that thanks to this technology, it caught several impostors trying to illegally enter the United States at airports and prevented the illegal movement of hundreds of people across the southwestern border.

Despite the fact that the biometric entry-exit security system was not widely applied, it was undoubtedly recommended after the passage in 1996 of the law on the reform of illegal immigration and the responsibility of immigrants. Over the past twenty years, numerous government reports have concluded that the system of inspection of foreign nationals at entry and exit is an integral part of US national security. However, widespread adoption of facial recognition could give too much power to the government and vaguely resembles the mandatory face scans recently announced in China needed for new mobile phone users.

In China, face scanning has become mandatory when buying a SIM card

In early December 2019, a law came into force in China obliging citizens to undergo face scanning before buying SIM cards. The government argues that such a measure should make the identification of people easier, as well as protect the rights and interests of the population on the Internet.

Previously, to buy a SIM card, residents of the PRC had enough to present a copy of their identification card. But after the adoption of the new law, all citizens of the country became obliged to undergo a face recognition procedure when concluding contracts with mobile operators.

Face scanning will help avoid identity theft and resale of SIM cards, the ministry added. information technology China Operators are already sending notifications to citizens that new SIM cards need to be bought in official salons, and not by hand.

The Ministry of Industry and Informatization of China announced a decree back in September 2019 to enable telecommunications providers to technically prepare.

According to the BBC, the Chinese authorities intend to control hundreds of millions of people who use mobile Internet, and also want to be sure that no one does it anonymously or under someone else's name.

Users of Chinese social networks complain about increased control by the state, the adoption of decisions by the authorities without discussion with the public, and also remind of leaks of personal data.

Previously, thieves knew only your name, now they will recognize your appearance, - wrote one of the users.

China has long taken measures to de-anonymize Internet users. Thus, rules were introduced for online services, obliging them to establish a person's identity before allowing him to publish content.^[21]

Facial recognition software can recognize a person by an MRI image of the brain

At the end of October 2019, it became known that facial recognition software can accurately match people's photos with MRI images of the brain. Read more here.

Start of facial recognition system at landing on board the aircraft

In mid-September 2019, London Gatwick became the first airport Great Britain to confirm it would continuously use facial recognition system to verify identity before boarding passengers on planes. More. here

American Airlines starts using facial recognition system instead of boarding passes

In late August 2019, American Airlines began using facial recognition technology to allow passengers to board the plane without a boarding pass. The airline says the system is perfectly safe and speeds up boarding. Read more here.

Facial recognition system determines killer wants to take credit for victim's corpse

In late August 2019, Chinese police detained a man accused of murdering his girlfriend when facial recognition software suggested he was trying to scan the victim's face for a loan application.

Police believe a 29-year-old man named Zhang strangled his girlfriend with a rope on April 11, 2019, after an argument. The killer is then believed to have gone on the run, hiding the body in the boot of a rental car. In addition, the killer on behalf of the victim contacted her employers through a WeChat account and received a leave of absence. Arriving in Sanming's hometown the next day, he tried to apply for a loan using an app called Money Station.

This system uses AI to verify the identity of applicants and asks them to wink to aid the verification and identification process. However, the victim, of course, could not wink. A suspicious application was immediately sent for consideration to the operator. Employees of the credit institution immediately contacted the police when they found bruises on the woman's face and a deep red line on her neck during a second manual check. Another clue was that voice recognition software determined that a man, not a woman, had applied for a loan.

Based on the data obtained, the Chinese prosecutor's office approved the detention of the alleged killer. He was caught at a remote farm where he tried to burn his victim's body. Now he is accused of murder, identity forgery and theft of the victim's funds. While no date has yet been set for a final hearing in the case, its details have shaken the public. Many admit that they did not suspect how facial and voice recognition software could be used in such situations to help police officers.^[22]

Panasonic facial recognition system installed at football stadium, which does not miss blacklisted fans

At the end of August 2019 Japanese , the manufacturer electronic engineers Panasonic announced that video surveillances the company's cameras installed at the Danish club's football stadium Brøndby IF will now include facial software recognition. New cameras will identify blacklisted individuals barred from the stadium grounds. More. here

Britain launches missing people's facial recognition system

In mid-July 2019, it became known about the launch of a facial recognition system for missing people in Britain. To test the technology, the Home Office has approached police in West Midlands, Kent, as well as British road policing.

According to The Telegraph, citing the National Crime Agency, about 180 thousand people disappear in Britain every year, and every 200th of them is a child.

Law enforcement will use thousands of CCTV cameras to identify people who may be wanted. Their faces will be matched to the appropriate database.

The authorities decided to expand the capabilities of the facial recognition system, despite much criticism regarding the accuracy of the technology.

A study released in June 2019 by the University of Essex commissioned by Scotland Yard found that 81% of "suspects" flagged with facial recognition technology were innocent, and that the vast majority of "identified" people were not actually wanted. This data was obtained on the basis of the technology at 10 mass events since 2016.

The British Home Office said that the facial recognition system for the search for missing people will be used not in real time to avoid erroneous police actions due to haste, but as part of the analysis of images from CCTV cameras.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has backed the proliferation of facial recognition technology by police, despite protests from activists fighting for privacy.

In 2019, litigation will be held in Britain regarding the legality of the use of facial recognition systems.^[23]

FBI uses photos of drivers to create unofficial facial recognition system

On July 7, 2019, it became known that US federal law enforcement agencies are using photos of drivers to create an unofficial facial recognition system. Read more here.

Second US city bans facial recognition systems

At the end of June 2019, it became known about the ban on facial recognition systems in Somerville (Massachusetts, USA), where about 81 thousand people live. It is the second city after San Francisco where local state agencies and police will not be able to use identity-by-face software.

In addition, Somerville banned the use of data or evidence obtained through software facial recognition systems in criminal investigations or litigation. At the same time, local legislation does not limit the use of facial recognition by state or federal law enforcement agencies, VentureBeat notes.

The authors of the ruling, which blocks facial recognition technologies, call them "the functional equivalent of the requirement that every person always wear and present photo ID." There is also talk of falsely positive coincidences in determining the faces of women, youth, immigrants or people of color.

The ban was unanimously approved by Somerville council, which has 11 members. At the same time, 9 of them themselves created this bill, so it is not surprising that it was adopted.

Most representatives of the city council believe that the operation of facial recognition systems is contrary to human rights and threatens abuse by law enforcement agencies. The deputies thus agreed with the arguments of human rights defenders who fear total surveillance of citizens. Similar bans were also considered by the authorities in Oakland and Massachusetts as a whole.

Earlier, the American Civil Liberties Union, together with 70 other human rights organizations, demanded that Amazon stop supplying facial recognition technologies to the government and called on Congress to impose a blanket ban on the practice.^[24]

NEC rolls out facial recognition system at universities to reveal student substitution in exams

On May 20, 2019, NEC announced the deployment of its facial recognition system in Australian educational institutions NeoFace in order to prevent fraud during exams. Read more here.

Police in London fine pedestrians hiding faces from their recognition systems

In mid-May 2019, it became known that London police fined a man for trying to hide his face from a camera with a facial recognition system.

In December 2018, law enforcement in the British capital began testing new facial recognition software. To do this, vans with appropriate equipment and monitoring warnings began to park on the streets.

One of the pedestrians, passing by such a car, decided to hide his face with a sweater collar and cover his head. The police noticed this behavior, detained the man and demanded to present documents. The detainee did not turn out to be a criminal, but he was fined £90 (about 7,500 rubles at the exchange rate as of May 17, 2019) for "inappropriate behavior."

Officers allege that when they stopped the man covering his face, he began to show aggression and threaten. The detainee himself, in a conversation with the BBC, said that he pulled a sweater over his head because it was cold outside, and the police did not have the right to demand to show his face.

The press service of the police said that the police were instructed against people who cover their faces or avoid cameras. They were instructed to stop people "at their discretion."

According to The Independent newspaper, during a test of the facial recognition system, eight suspicious persons were arrested in eight hours. Only in three cases this was done on the signal of the program, knowledgeable sources told the publication. Those arrested were suspects in robberies and other offenses.

Before testing the facial recognition technology began, police said "any person who refuses to be scanned would not necessarily be considered suspicious."^[25]

Police catch thief using photo of famous actor in facial recognition system

In mid-May 2019, it became known that the NYPD (NYPD) used a photo of Woody Harrelson in its facial recognition program to catch a criminal who looked like this famous actor. Read more here.

Banning facial recognition systems

In mid-May 2019, San Francisco became the first American city to ban facial recognition systems. The city supervisory council voted for such an initiative. Read more here.

Police launch arrests over false signals from facial recognition systems

On April 22, 2019, an 18-year-old student from New York, Usman Bach, sued Apple for illegal arrest, which the police made due to an error in the facial recognition system in one of the stores of the American corporation. Read more here.

Panasonic has installed cameras in a major supermarket chain that recognize faces and purchases

In early April 2019, a large Japanese supermarket chain FamilyMart announced the start of using a facial recognition system that allows you to pay for purchases without involving cashiers. Read more here.

You can now pay for trips to the Chinese metro

In March 2019, Shenzhen Metro launched a travel payment system using facial recognition technology. The technology was launched at Futian Station, and a 5G pilot network was launched there to implement it. Read more here.

A facial recognition system has appeared in British prisons to combat the transfer of "banned"

In early March 2019, it became known that in British prisons Hull, Humber and Lindholme appeared a facial recognition system designed to combat the transfer of prohibited items such as mobile phones and drugs.

Prison officials recorded more than 23,000 prohibited transfers in 2018, an increase of 4,000 from 2017. Some visitors supply contraband goods to several prisons across the country, according to UK intelligence figures. At the same time, the use of fingerprints and verification of documents without electronic communication between prisons do not allow identifying such violators.

The technology biometrics and facial recognition tested in prisons uses the IDScan and device developed software by the London company Facewatch. Prisons also used iris scanning technology developed by Tascent, a US-based biometric identification and security company.

At HMP Humber prison, staff scanned the faces of 770 visitors over six weeks to determine who was using fake IDs or visiting different inmates at different times. Using new security systems, prison officials have been able to identify a number of suspicious individuals who may be denied visits to UK prisons after an investigation. In addition, the data collected can serve as evidence in further investigations both inside and outside the prison.

However, similar use of the facial recognition system has caused outrage in some sections of society. British civil liberties campaigners Big Brother Watch have appealed to the European Court of Human Rights over the UK government's use of mass surveillance technology.^[26]

NEC launches ATMs that allow you to withdraw money using face recognition

In late February 2019, NEC Corporation announced the launch of the world's first ATMs to allow cash withdrawal through facial recognition. The ATMs were created in collaboration with major Taiwanese bank E.SUN Commercial Bank. Read more here.

IBM released a database of 1 million photographs of faces for training biometric systems

At the end of January 2019, IBM released a database containing 1 million photos of faces taken from the Flickr service to help developers train biometric systems.

The company believes that the data used for facial recognition systems is not diverse enough and has proposed expanding the database of analyzed images. All presented photos are equipped with labels with data of craniofacial dimensions, facial symmetry, age and gender designations. The company's researchers hope these details will help developers achieve greater accuracy in facial recognition.

Experts warn of the possibility of artificial intelligence bias. Research has shown that the technology used is much better suited for facial recognition of white men than women or people of other nationalities. Even IBM's own system was criticized. According to MIT researchers, the IBM Watson system in 35% of cases could not identify black women, although the proportion of errors in recognizing white men did not exceed 1%.

IBM took note and said Watson's updated visual recognition service uses more diverse datasets for training. Nevertheless, the proportion of errors in the recognition of the faces of black women is still quite large and is 17%. The ongoing research has alerted the public - facial recognition technology is used by law enforcement agencies, but with this level of errors, the question arises of its feasibility.

A 2016 report by Georgetown University School of Law's Center for Confidential Data Protection said African Americans were more likely to become suspects than white men, and errors in police facial recognition systems could make that situation worse.^[27]

2018

Face recognition does not work in every second smartphone

In early January 2019, a non-profit organization from Holland tested 110 smartphone models and found that the feature face recognition used to lock devices did not work properly on more than every second device.

A study by Consumentenbond and its international partners found that to unlock 42 of the smartphones tested, it is enough to have a photo of the phone owner. Any photo, for example, obtained from social networks, from CCTV cameras or any other way, is suitable.

The results of this study are of concern to users and security services. The use of a printed photo of the owner's face is the first validation of the facial recognition feature used by regular users and testers. But most importantly, this is the first trick that attackers will try to hack into a smartphone protected by face identification, before moving on to more complex attacks, which include creating masks or 3D printed heads of the phone owner.^[28]

Any facial recognition system that fails a "photo test" is generally considered useless. According to Consumentenbond, Asus, BlackBerry, Huawei, Lenovo, LG, Nokia, Samsung, Sony and Xiaomi models have not passed such tests. In the case of Sony, absolutely all models failed the test. Six more models - Honor and six LG models - were tested only in "strict" mode. Although users may conclude from this test that it is not worth including facial recognition, 68 devices, including Apple's flagship iPhone XR and XS models, have withstood this simple attack, as have many other high-performance Android models from Samsung, Huawei, OnePlus and Honor.

A complete list of models that have passed the photo test can be found on the Consumentenbond website.^[29]

Most popular facial recognition systems in China

By the end of 2018, China is actively using facial recognition systems in a variety of places - stores, transport infrastructure and even toilets. The authorities are creating a national system that will identify a person in a few seconds. For this, CCTV cameras are used, of which there are about 170 million in the country, and by 2020 there should be 570 million. That is, for every two Chinese there will be one camera.

According to Business Insider, thanks to the large population and weak privacy laws, the police and commercial companies are actively creating TECont using face recognition. The largest projects are listed below.^[30]

One of the most common facial recognition programs is Face++, which is used to control access everywhere from Beijing's train stations to Alibaba's office building.

Alibaba itself has developed its own systems that will be used in the Shanghai metro to identify passengers with their face and voice.

Police officers monitoring safety at one of China's railway stations wear special sunglasses with facial recognition. The device is capable of identifying a person in 100 milliseconds and has repeatedly helped law enforcement agencies in catching criminals.

In Shenzhen, China, for the first time in the world, a camera for fixing violations by pedestrians was launched. It is installed at one of the tense crossings of the city and monitors people crossing the road at a prohibitory traffic light. To determine the identity of the offender, the camera uses facial recognition technology.

College entrance exams across the country use facial and fingerprint recognition to ensure examinees are genuine students.

After a series of child abductions, some kindergartens open doors only to those people whose faces are registered in the system. In one of the kindergartens, more than 200 cameras were installed to ensure security.

Even some toilets have installed facial recognition machines. The device produces 60 cm of toilet paper to one person no more than once every nine minutes.

In KFC restaurants, you can pay for an order using a face scanner. The system can be used by registered users who make purchases using Alipay. To pay for food, a customer needs to look at a 3D webcam that takes a picture and scans their face. Information linked to an account in Alipay will allow you to verify the user and make a purchase.

Customers can also use facial recognition to pay for purchases in stores operated by one of China's largest online retailers JD.com.

Alibaba has Hema cashless stores where users scan their face and enter a phone number to make payments through the Alipay system.

Alibaba, together with hotel information systems manufacturer Shiji, has installed a facial recognition system for check-in at 50 hotels. Chinese tourists resorting to the services of the online travel agency Fliggy (owned by Alibaba) can first book a hotel in it, and then, using the "mask" of their face, quickly check into the hotel and issue a deposit.

China Merchants Bank has installed facial recognition ATMs in China They use a specially developed algorithm that compares the face of a person who came for money with the database of bank clients' questionnaires.

Alibaba has deployed a vending machine to sell cars using facial recognition technology.

Insurance company Taikang checks the identity of customers by their face using software created by search engine Baidu.

Beijing decided to fight illegal rental of state housing with the help of smart locks that recognize owners by face

At the end of December 2018, it became known that smart locks with facial recognition technology are being introduced at an accelerated pace in Beijing's public housing. With their help, local authorities are strengthening measures against illegal retaking of public housing provided to low-income families at preferential prices.

It is assumed that by the end of June 2019, locks with a built-in face scanning system will be used in all programs for providing preferential state housing in Beijing with the participation of 120 thousand tenants, reports The South China Morning Post with reference to the Beijing edition of The Beijing News.^[31]

By comparing the information obtained when scanning visitors' faces with images from a saved database, the system recognizes the owners and does not open the door to strangers, Shan Zhenyu, director of the information center at the Beijing State Housing Center, told Beijing News in an interview.

In addition, the system can be used to look after lonely elderly people. If an elderly person does not go out and enter the house for a certain period of time, the property manager will be sent a notification about the need to go in with a check.

In large metropolitan areas like Beijing, renting is very expensive. On average, a rented apartment in the capital of the Middle Kingdom costs about 5 thousand yuan per month (about $730), while the rent for state housing can be less than 2 thousand yuan per month ($290).

Beijing authorities hope that smart locks that recognize owners by face will improve security, prevent illegal subletting and ensure that only really needy people enjoy the benefit.

As of the end of 2018, smart locks with face recognition are involved in 47 programs for providing preferential state housing in Beijing. With their help, about 100 thousand scan images of the faces of tenants and their family members were obtained.

Chinese Airbnb installs' smart'face recognition locks in homes

At the end of 2018, Xiaozhu announced the start of the introduction of "smart" locks with face recognition in houses and apartments, which are offered to be rented using the service. The new technology, which allows tenant identity checks, has become part of a big effort to improve safety and security in the fast-growing short-term rental market. Read more here.

Failure in London. Subway facial recognition system will not recognize anyone

At the end of December 2018, it became clear that the facial recognition system deployed on the London Underground would not recognize anyone. London police officers have been criticised for using unmarked vans to test controversial and inaccurate automatic facial recognition technology from Christmas shoppers. Read more here.

Facial recognition toilets in China cut toilet paper consumption

At the end of 2018, it became known about the growing number of public toilets in China with a facial recognition system, which saves toilet paper.

In December, such a toilet was launched at Baotu Spring Park in Jinan City (Shandong Province), located 400 km south of Beijing. In this restroom there is a machine that gives out toilet paper after a face scan. In one approach, the device produces about 70 cm of paper, and to obtain an additional portion of a sanitary and hygienic product, the same person needs to wait 9 minutes and again bring his head to the identification chamber.

Thanks to the biometric system, toilet paper consumption was reportedly reduced from 10 to 4 rolls a day. Use of the toilet and paper is free.

In China, stealing toilet paper, as well as hand soap and paper towels from public latrines, is very common. That is why in some toilets they completely refused to give out toilet paper to visitors, and people have to bring it with them.

Most Chinese people who have tried out the toilet paper dispenser say they are not worried about the need for face scans. The main drawback, according to them , is that sometimes the issued paper is not enough and therefore you have to wait until the terminal can issue an additional volume.

The installation of equipment that limits the issuance of toilet paper has become part of a large-scale program called the Toilet Revolution, which has been implemented in China since 2015. It was launched against the backdrop of the extremely deplorable state of toilets in the country and the discontent of many tourists from visiting them. In this regard, the Chinese toilets have developed an extremely bad reputation.

In 2019, it is planned to build or repair about 21 thousand toilets in tourist destinations in the PRC. In 2018, about 24 thousand latrines were opened and modernized.^[32]

To unlock a smartphone, hackers and police print the owner's head on a 3D printer

By the end of the year 2018, many smartphones are equipped with an unlocking function using face recognition. In December, Forbes magazine decided to test whether this technology is safe if you use a 3D printed head model. It turned out that hackers or the police could well use 3D printers to gain access to mobile devices.

Forbes journalist Thomas Brewster printed a 3D model of his head on a 3D printer at Backface in British Birmingham for £300 (25 thousand rubles). Pictures from 50 cameras were used to make it. After editing the images, it turned out a life-size 3D model that resembles a real person.

The test was carried out on five different smartphones iPhone X-,,, and LG G7 ThinQ Samsung Galaxy S9 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 OnePlus 6. After setting up the unlock function, Brewster was able to unlock all four - Androidsmartphone using a 3D face model. He said that all Android phones that participated in the experiment were unlocked with "varying degrees of lightness."

The only phone that failed to unlock was the iPhone X. When its presentation took place, Apple claimed to have worked with Hollywood studios and tested Face ID technology with 3D printed masks and other objects to see if they could be faked.

Face ID uses an array of sensors to identify the user, while Android phones tend to rely on a selfie camera that is less accurate.

Facial recognition technology became widespread in the US and UK by 2018. This has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights activists, who argue that stricter laws need to be introduced to protect privacy rights. For example, in the United States, biometric data, including fingerprints and a face model, are not protected by the fifth amendment. This means that although the police cannot force a person to enter a password, they can force a finger to the scanner or bring the phone to their face, as well as create a 3D copy of the head to unlock the gadget.^[33]

At 14 American airports earned facial recognition system

On August 20, 2018, the system was launched at 14 American airports. Customs and face recognition Border Protection (USA U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, CBP) spoke about its effectiveness.

As reported on the agency's website, on August 22, a 26-year-old passenger who flew to Washington Dulles Airport from Sao Paulo (Brazil) presented a passport of a French citizen at the control point . However, the biometric system revealed that the man's face did not match the photo in the document.

When he arrived in the United States, he was "clearly nervous" and, as it turned out, not in vain. In his shoe, an identity card was found in the name of a citizen of the Republic of Congo, who was actually a detainee. Now, for trying to enter the United States under false documents, he faces imprisonment.

CBP hopes that biometric systems will not only identify violators, but also speed up the procedure for passing passport control of passengers arriving from abroad. At the same time, US citizens by August 2018 were allowed to refuse to scan their faces.

CBP argues that under the privacy policy, the service does not store "biographical details" of any travelers, and photos that are created in scanning systems are used only to identify individuals. Images of the faces of American citizens are stored in the system 12 hours after verification, and foreigners - 14 days.

It is assumed that in the future, the facial recognition system will replace boarding passes, as well as passport checks at all stages before boarding the plane. However, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warns that despite all the promises, the government can use the technology to secretly monitor people, even if they are not suspected of anything.^[34]

British police facial recognition systems proved useless

In May 2018, it became known about big problems in facial recognition systems used by British police. As a result, a large number of lawsuits can be filed - this issue has become a "priority" for the Information Commissioner's Office, quotes the BBC as the representative of the regulator Elizabeth Denham.

 The UK-based human rights organisation Big Brother Watch has published research findings showing a "staggering" number of innocent people from whom facial recognition technology has made potential criminals.

So, from May 2017 to March 2018, the system issued 2685 matches of people with the database of suspects for the South Wales police, but 2451 of them turned out to be false.

London law enforcement used facial identification technology at Notting Hill Carnival in 2017. The readings of the system turned out to be erroneous in 98% of cases when a signal was fired that a suspect was allegedly seen from a police database. The decision is arranged in such a way that if a possible violator of the law is identified, a signal is received at the control desk at the nearest police station.

The police began to blame the cameras issuing a poor-quality picture and the fact that the system was used for the first time, but  also in the next 15 events (football matches, festivals, parades), during which the technology was used, the result did not improve. Only on three, the system was never mistaken .

The police also said that over the nine months of operation of the facial recognition system, it correctly noted more than 2 thousand people, which led to 450 arrests. At the same time, no one got into the conclusion erroneously. This is due to the fact that in addition to the work of algorithms, people are involved in the work who check the actuations and make final decisions.^[35]

Scientists have invented a new way to deceive facial recognition systems

Every day, facial recognition system become more complex and are increasingly used in ubiquitous life, for example, last year the company Apple released smartphone iPhone an X equipped with a biometric system. Face ID However, such systems can be deceived, in particular, using infrared LEDs. Infrared rays are not visible to the simple eye, however, most cameras can pick up infrared signals^[36]

Chinese researchers have created^[37] a baseball cap equipped with miniature infrared LEDs that are placed in such a way that infrared rays that hit the face of the headgear owner help not only hide his identity, but also "impersonate another person for face recognition-based authentication." This task is more complex and requires the use of a deep neural network to recognize a static image of the face and correctly project infrared rays onto the impostor's face.

To test their theory, the researchers used photographs of four random people, they managed to deceive facial recognition systems in 70% of cases, provided there was a slight external similarity between the victim and the impostor.

"Based on our findings and attacks, we can conclude that the current facial recognition technologies are difficult to call safe and reliable in terms of critical scenarios such as authentication and surveillance," the researchers concluded. They also added that infrared LEDs can be hidden not only in baseball caps, but also in umbrellas, hair or wigs.

Russian twins demand 20 million from Apple for the fact that the iPhone X sees no difference between them

Twin brothers from Vladimir - 26-year-old Alexander and Ilya Tunchiki - Apple sent a claim to the Russian office of the company due to facial recognition system Face ID the fact that smartphones iPhone X they are equally identified by both young people, thereby, in their opinion, violating the protection of personal data^[38]

Offended users demand that the company improve the technology, as well as compensate for moral damage in the amount of 20 million rubles, lawyer Roman Ardykutsa, representing the interests of the brothers, told TASS in January 2018.

"The

twins acquired... iPhone X precisely in order to use the function of unlocking the screen using faces. To their disappointment, each device learns both brothers, which they were not warned about when buying, this information is missing from the instructions. That is why the applicants ask the company to finalize the technology, "he explained

.

2017

Face recognition in retail

In November 2017, CNBC released a story about the introduction of facial recognition systems in stores. Retailers use such technologies to collect customer data and select offers based on relevant data.

In retail, facial recognition is used mainly to motivate customers. For example, if a person is recognized at the entrance to the store and they see his shopping history, then the store employees know better what to offer him. So, if he bought a TV in an electronics store, the employee recognizes him, turns by name and offers to purchase a new remote control.

According to Hong Kong IT company Jardine One Solution (JOS), many retail chains are using facial recognition capabilities to collect data on visitors to their stores.

One of the things that large traditional retailers are starting to do now is to track who goes into their store and how he behaves there, "said JOS Managing Director Mark Lunt.

JOS itself helps retailers with customer facial recognition in order to profile customers and track their actions at the outlet. We are talking about data such as the number of visitors, their age, gender, ethnicity. Such information helps stores better know about the flow of customers and select personalized offers for them, said Lant.

For example, using the analysis of data coming from facial recognition systems, you can select music playing on the trading floor.

JOS says all customer data received is anonymous, but the issue of privacy remains relevant. Technology does not prevent the introduction of such systems, but there are concerns related to personal data and culture, admits Mark Lunt.

He added that retailers are spending huge amounts of money to prevent data breaches and protect information. The scandal over the theft of the data of millions of Uber customers shows that companies cannot feel safe, and users should be careful to disclose personal information, says the managing director of JOS.

Founder and CEO of HeadCount (offers stores services to monitor and improve attendance) Mark Ryski says that biometric data, including those that generate facial recognition systems, are classified as sensitive and have great potential - especially in order to ensure security and improve the quality of customer service.

According to Brennan Wilkie, senior vice president of customer service strategy at InMoment, the use of facial recognition equipment in retail premises really has great potential. For example, such devices are able to compare the expression of the customer in the store with the data about him, his loyalty to the brand and other purchases. In order to mitigate the problem of user privacy, stores need to demonstrate to customers what benefits they receive, as it was in their time with self-service cash desks or with bank cards with chips, he is sure.

Earlier, the Chief information officer "Dixie" Vladimir Muravyov in an interview TAdviser talked about projects for targeted advertising in stores of one of the retail chains "Victoria" using face recognition technology. More on this. here

According to the forecast of the analytical company MarketsandMarkets, the volume of the global market for facial recognition systems will reach $6.8 billion by 2021.^[39]

Authorization in the iPhone X in the face was hacked with a mask for $150. Video

Vietnamese cybersecurity firm Bkav has demonstrated a way to bypass the Apple Face ID face authorization system implemented in the company's new mobile devices, the iPhone X. To do this, they needed to make a mask on a 3D printer that only partially resembles the face of the device owner^[40].

See Apple Face ID for more details

How to bypass the face scanner on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Web designer Mel Tahon tweeted a video about how easy it is to bypass the face scanner on the Galaxy Note 8. In his experiment, Tahon holds two Note 8s opposite each other, one with a photo of him and the other with a face scan system on.

Watch the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 for more details

Samsung Galaxy S8 biometric security deception

The biometric identification system in the latest Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphones can be deceived with a photo, found out members of the German hacker community Chaos Computer Club (CCC). They spoke about their discovery on the community website on May 22, 2017.

Watch the Samsung Galaxy S8 for more details

2016

Allied Market Research

Allied Market Research foreshadows the growth of the facial recognition systems market to $9.6 billion by 2022, with an average growth rate of 21.3% per year. The market leader, according to forecasts, will be the United States. 3D technology will occupy most of the market compared to 2D, and the software market will grow by 23.9% annually until 2022. The market will also increase due to the distribution of applications in the field of facial recognition.

Researchers have learned to deceive the facial recognition system

Facial recognition is based on neural networks that are trained on a variety of examples. The computer is shown thousands and millions of faces, and it begins to "understand" where the nose, eyebrows and so on. After that, if you show a certain person, the computer reads the patterns known to it; analyzes what the query is like; and issues an answer.

Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have learned to trick^[41]. To do this, they painted the glasses in such a way that the computer began to make mistakes and mistook the person for another. For testing, they used existing neural networks that know how to recognize faces very well - sometimes better than a person^[42].

Researchers managed to pass off a white man as Milla Jovovich in almost 90 percent of cases. A woman of Asian appearance in special glasses, the computer in the same percentage of cases took for a man from the Middle East.

In addition, they tried their method on the commercial Face++ program, which is used by Alibaba to authorize payments. In this case, they did not put a person in glasses in front of the camera, but first took his photo with glasses and then uploaded it to the program. As a result, they managed to pass off one person for another in 100 percent of cases.

US Public Organizations Against Facial Recognition

A coalition of 52 public and human rights organizations in the United States sent a letter to the Department of Justice asking them to investigate the excessive use of facial recognition technologies in the work of law enforcement agencies. The coalition is also concerned about the unequal accuracy of machine facial recognition of different races, which can become the basis for the manifestation of racism by body employees. The^[43].

These technologies are especially abused by local police, state police and the FBI, the letter says. The coalition is asking the Ministry of Justice to primarily investigate those police departments that are already under investigation due to bias towards citizens with a non-white skin color.

The basis for the request was the results of a study by the Center for Privacy and Technology of the Georgetown University School of Law. The study found that the faces of half of U.S. adults were scanned under different circumstances by government identification software.

Researchers note that in the United States today there are no serious rules governing the use of this software. According to Alvaro Bedoya, director of the Center and co-author of the study, having taken a picture on a driver's license, a person already enters the database of police or the FBI. This is especially significant given that facial recognition is inaccurate, in which case it can harm innocent citizens.

Examples of projects at HSBC, MasterCard and Facebook

The bank HSBC collects a portrait gallery of its clients. The financial conglomerate is switching to a new identification system - selfies. The photo will replace all other ways to determine the identity, such as fingerprints, voice recognition and the introduction PIN of the HSBC code^[44]

The service will be available to HSBC corporate customers. Through a banking mobile application, they will be able to open accounts with one selfie click. The bank confirms the identity of the client using the facial recognition program. The photo merges with pictures previously uploaded to the system, for example, from a passport or driver's license. It is assumed that the new service will eliminate the need to remember digital codes and reduce identification time.

MasterCard announced in the spring of 2016 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, ​ ​ that it would soon allow the use of selfies as an alternative for passwords for online payments. The service will be available next summer in, and USA To Canada some countries Europe such as,, the Italy France Netherlands, and. Great Britain Spain

To use this option, users will need to download a special application to their computer, tablet or smartphone. Then look into the camera or use the device scanner to recognize fingerprints (if it is available on the device). However (at least for now), users will still need to provide additional details of their bank card. Only if additional identification is required, users will be able to use the above option.

Thanks to this new approach, MasterCard is going to protect users from fake online transactions that are carried out using stolen user passwords, as well as provide users with a more convenient authorization system. The company said 92% of people who tested this new system preferred it to traditional passwords.

Some experts doubt the protection of information from cyber criminals being able to easily obtain a user's fingerprints or a photo of his face if the transaction is carried out when the public Wi-Fi network is not safe.

Cyber security experts argue that the system should include multiple layers of security to prevent users from potentially stealing photos of their faces. After all, online payments are an attractive target for cyber criminals.

At

the end of 2015, a group of experts from the Technical University of Berlin demonstrated the ability to extract the PIN code of any smartphone when using the user's selfie. To do this, they read this code, which was displayed in the user's eyes when he entered it on his OPPO N1 phone. A hacker just needs to seize control of the smartphone's front camera to carry out this elementary attack. Could a cyber criminal seize control of a user's device, make a selfie of it and then make online payments using the dialed password that the hacker saw in the eyes of his victim?

MasterCard insists that its security mechanisms will be able to detect such behavior. For example, users will need to flash for the app to show off a person's "live" image rather than their photo or pre-shot video. The system matches the image of the user's face, converting it into a code and transmitting it via a secure protocol over the Internet to MasterCard. The company promises that this information will be safely stored on its servers, while the company itself will not be able to reconstruct the user's face.

In the summer of 2016, it became known that researchers bypassed the system biometric authentications using photos from. Facebook The attack was made possible by potential vulnerabilities inherent in social resources.

A team of researchers from North Carolina State University has demonstrated a method of bypassing security systems built on face recognition technology using available photos of social media users. As explained in the report of experts, the attack was made possible by potential vulnerabilities inherent in social resources.

"

Not surprisingly, personal photos posted on social media can pose a privacy risk. Most large social networks recommend that users set privacy settings when posting photos on the site, but many of these pictures are often available to the general public or can only be viewed by friends. In addition, users cannot independently control the availability of their photos posted by other subscribers, "the scientists say

.

As part of the experiment, the researchers selected photos of 20 volunteers (users of Facebook, Google +, LinkedIn and other social resources). They then used these shots to create 3D models of faces, "revitalized" them with a series of animated effects, superimposed the skin texture on the model, and adjusted the look (if necessary). The researchers tested the resulting models on five security systems, four of them were deceived in 55-85% of cases.

According to the Technavo report (winter 216), one of the key trends that have a positive impact on the market of facial recognition technologies is the introduction of multimodal biometric systems in sectors such as healthcare, banking, financial sector, securities and insurance sector, transportation sector, road transport, as well as in the public sector.

Multimodal biometric systems based on a combination of several biometric technologies, such as fingerprint, facial, voice, etc., are highly efficient in detecting unauthorized access to bank self-service devices, healthcare databases, mobile devices, as well as a large number of online and offline applications.

Due to the growing need to improve the level of security in Europe, a steady increase in the use of biometric face identification systems is expected. As of 2015, despite the fact that Europe is the second largest participant in the global market for biometric face identification technologies, other technologies such as fingerprint recognition, hand vein pattern and iris are more widespread. The introduction of facial recognition systems was carried out at a slower pace, which was associated with the crisis in the eurozone. But analysts expect that over the next four years, the cumulative annual growth rate of this market will exceed 21%.

Manufacturers invest heavily in scientific research and development of biometric face-to-face identification systems. This is expected to significantly accelerate the development of such systems by identifying qualitative facial parameters, including scars, nose length, or facial expression, and which can be used to determine a person's age or sex.

Biometric face identification technologies can be used in retail to identify customers and track their purchases, shopping habits, age, gender, criminal and credit history. It is expected that the data obtained using such systems will be used by retailers for marketing purposes and in order to make special offers to customers based on information about their previous purchases.

2015

2015: According to ^[45], MasterCard announced in the summer of 2015 the launch of testing of the online purchase confirmation program will take place by scanning the user's face.

At the final stage of the purchase, the online buyer will need to take his photo using a smartphone. MasterCard believes this is much easier than remembering passwords.

According to CNN Money, with the help of a new innovative tool, the payment system plans to reduce the level of fraud. "I think the new generation who live with selfie shots will love it. They will probably pick up this technology, "said Ajay Bhalla, MasterCard's director of innovative security solutions

.

MasterCard uses SecureCode online payment security technology, which involves entering a password to confirm payment on the Internet. According to the company, this technology was used in 3 billion transactions over the past year, it prevents fraudsters from using the card on the Internet. However, passwords are forgotten, they can be stolen or intercepted. That is why many financial companies have begun to introduce biometric technologies for user convenience and increased security.

First, the project will cover 500 users, and if tested successfully, it will be launched for public use.

2014

2014: The creators of Israeli startup IsItYou plan to use front-facing cameras smartphones as a way to confirm people's identities when making bank transactions. According to the Air Force, the Israelis are confident that in the future selfies will be able to replace passwords, fingerprints and other forms of identity identification. IsItYou has implemented a new technology that face recognition has a high degree of accuracy and protection against fraud^[46]

The founder of the project, Benjamin Levy, said that thanks to the high level of security, IsItYou will be able to recognize 99,999 out of 100 thousand cases of deception. Levy tried to convince of banks the need to implement his system as early as next year. It will be used to conduct financial transactions.

Google is already using facial recognition in Android. Thus, it is possible to unlock a device running this mobile OS. However, the developers have repeatedly argued that face recognition is not sufficiently protected compared to classic ways. In this regard, experts doubted the statements of Binyamin Levy.

Marios Savvedes of Carnegie Mellon University is researching the facial recognition function. He believes that the self-conducted IsItYou security test cannot be reliable.

The same opinion is shared by the world expert in the field of biometrics, Dr. Massimo Tistarelli. He said a full-scale science project, Tabula Rasa, was underway in Europe, with the main aim of developing fraud protection for biometric identification methods. According to him, before entering the market, a number of independent studies should be carried out to confirm the effectiveness of the product.