Facial recognition tech used to scan for stalkers at Taylor Swift show

Science & Tech 19:24 14.12.2018

Security at a Taylor Swift show in California secretly used facial recognition technology on the crowd to search for stalkers, Rolling Stone reported Thursday.

A kiosk that showed rehearsal clips of her to entertain fans at her May 18 show at the Rose Bowl had a facial recognition camera hidden inside, which transferred pictures of the unwitting fans to a "command post" in Nashville, Mike Downing, chief security officer of Oak View Group, told the magazine.

"Everybody who went by would stop and stare at it, and the software would start working," he said. In Nashville, the pictures were cross-referenced with a database of "hundreds" of known Swift stalkers, Downing said.

Oak View Group is an advisory panel for concert venues, and Downing said he was invited to the show for a demonstration of the system by the kiosk's manufacturer, who was not identified. A rep for Oak View Group did not respond to a request for comment.

It's unclear whether the hidden camera was used at more venues during Swift's recently concluded "Reputation" tour.

A representative for Swift did not respond to a request for comment.

Facial recognition, once an obscure technology, has become more common in the world of security and law enforcement, as well as in consumer products. New iPhones use a form of facial recognition to verify a user's identity and unlock the device, while Facebook can find people in photos based on their facial features. Casinos use facial recognition to identify high rollers and cheaters, while Ticketmaster is working on a system that would allow concert-goers to use the technology to get into venues faster.

Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst for the American Civil Liberties Union, said that while the desire to ensure Swift's safety is understandable, the use of facial recognition technology without informing the public is problematic.

"Stalkers are a real problem for celebrities and everybody understands it's important for people like Taylor Swift to be safe from them," Stanley said. "This was done in a relatively sneaky way."

"People should know about this, preferably before they buy their ticket," he said.

Many major tech companies are developing facial recognition technology and marketing it to the government as well as private security operations — deals that have come under growing scrutiny from privacy advocates and even employees at those companies.

Online retail giant Amazon has developed a facial recognition software called Rekognition that's being used by some local police departments and has reportedly been pitched to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The possible sale of the technology has drawn scrutiny from Amazon shareholders, members of Congress and Amazon employees.

A form of the technology is already being used at more than a dozen U.S. airports and caught an impostor trying to enter the country on a fake passport in August, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

The U.S. Secret Service last month started testing a system using security cameras to identify potential "people of interest" outside the White House.

In New York State, the technology is being used at bridges and tunnels, and the Department of Motor Vehicles has used it to identify more than 21,000 cases of identity theft or fraud, state officials have said.

A 2016 study by the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law found that law enforcement facial recognition networks include more than 117 million American adults.

"The technology is moving faster than our ability to place checks and balances on it," Stanley said.

Google on Thursday announced it was going to hold off on selling facial recognition products until it's worked through "important technology and policy questions."

"It's up to all of us to ensure that AI is developed responsibly for social good," Kent Walker, Google's senior vice-president of global affairs, wrote in a blog post.

 

Azerbaijan Defense Minister informs NATO chief on situation in Azerbaijan-Armenia conditional border -VIDEO

News line

Azerbaijani oil price exceeds $88
Azerbaijani oil price exceeds $88
09:48 19.03.2024
Mehriban Aliyeva makes post on Last Tuesday before Novruz Holiday
09:35 19.03.2024
Pashinyan: Delimitation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan entered practical stage
09:00 19.03.2024
Pakistan restricts foreign travels of ministers, government officials
Pakistan restricts foreign travels of ministers, government officials
20:39 18.03.2024
EU to boost military support fund for Ukraine by EUR 5 bln — Hungarian foreign minister
20:00 18.03.2024
Industrial zones to be created in Azerbaijan’s Zangilan, Jabrayil, and Gubadli
19:16 18.03.2024
Reuters: Only an oil slump can stop Russia
19:00 18.03.2024
Top Hamas operative killed in hospital raid, IDF says
Top Hamas operative killed in hospital raid, IDF says
18:33 18.03.2024
President Ilham Aliyev congratulates people of Azerbaijan on occasion of Novruz holiday - UPDATED
18:00 18.03.2024
Jens Stoltenberg: We fully support Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity
Jens Stoltenberg: We fully support Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity
17:47 18.03.2024
2 dead, 6 injured in Türkiye factory explosion
2 dead, 6 injured in Türkiye factory explosion
17:28 18.03.2024
Armenia’s anti-Russian policy reaches new level
17:11 18.03.2024
"The Middle Corridor plays a key role for Green Energy" - Expert Ali Pasha
16:45 18.03.2024
Central square of Khankandi named “Victory Square”
16:22 18.03.2024
President: We demonstrated tremendous heroism during the II Karabakh War and the anti-terror operation
16:16 18.03.2024
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus visited IEPF - PHOTOS - VIDEO
16:00 18.03.2024
Historic opportunity emerged to advance the Azerbaijani-Armenian peace agenda - FM Bayramov
15:21 18.03.2024
Bayramov and Stoltenberg discuss normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia
15:03 18.03.2024
Azerbaijan Defense Minister informs NATO chief on situation in Azerbaijan-Armenia conditional border -VIDEO
14:58 18.03.2024
Stoltenberg's visit to the Caucasus: "NATO is in panic" - OPİNİON
14:29 18.03.2024
Hikmat Hajiyev holds discussions for upcoming COP29 with Chinese Vice FM
Hikmat Hajiyev holds discussions for upcoming COP29 with Chinese Vice FM
14:00 18.03.2024
Stoltenberg concludes his official visit to Azerbaijan
13:42 18.03.2024
Geomagnetic storm expected on March 20
13:33 18.03.2024
Mbappe celebrates his 250th goal in PSG
Mbappe celebrates his 250th goal in PSG
13:19 18.03.2024
President Ilham Aliyev makes a phone call to Vladimir Putin
13:00 18.03.2024
President Ilham Aliyev lit Novruz bonfire in Khankandi and congratulated Azerbaijani people
12:34 18.03.2024
Foreign students attacked in India over Ramadan prayers
12:30 18.03.2024
Spring comes to Northern Hemisphere
Spring comes to Northern Hemisphere
12:17 18.03.2024
Why does Azerbaijan matter to the European Union? - OPINION
12:00 18.03.2024
Number of human remains found in mass grave in Khojaly reaches 19
11:45 18.03.2024
Hikmat Hajiyev meets Pakistani envoy to China
Hikmat Hajiyev meets Pakistani envoy to China
11:33 18.03.2024
EU Council to discuss Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization
11:23 18.03.2024
Global Terrorism Index: Azerbaijan among countries with highest anti-terror rating worldwide
10:56 18.03.2024
Oil prices keep rising
Oil prices keep rising
10:40 18.03.2024
Stoltenberg: NATO looking forward to further strengthening partnership with Azerbaijan
10:23 18.03.2024
Azerbaijani police found numerous weapons and ammunition in Khankandi
10:10 18.03.2024
President Ilham Aliyev: There is a good chance for settlement of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations
09:57 18.03.2024
Putin warns about possible war between Russia and NATO
09:40 18.03.2024
Hikmat Hajiyev meets with Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment of China
09:23 18.03.2024
Azerbaijan relocates 123 more residents to Fuzuli city
08:53 18.03.2024
Hamısı