Facial recognition and privacy rights

Biometric facial recognition is one of the most rapidly developing methods of biometric identification, with expanding applications across law enforcement, government and the private sector. Its capacity for integration with other technologies, such as closed circuit television (CCTV) and social media, differentiate it from DNA and fingerprint biometric identification. This chapter commences with a discussion of the technique of facial recognition and applications in identity verification, public surveillance, and the identification of unknown suspects. Its relative advantages and disadvantages, and the development of facial recognition around the world is explored. The discussion then examines how facial recognition databases developed from existing databases, such as driver’s licence photographs, can be integrated with CCTV systems, and most recently, with photographs from social media and the internet. The chapter then considers relevant ethical principles, including privacy, autonomy, security and public safety, and the implications for law and regulation in relation to facial recognition.