Facial recognition technology is advancing rapidly- and its quite intimidating. The security of millions is being compromised by this fast pace initiative. According to Cade Metz of the NY Times data bases are being pulled together from social networks, photo sites, dating apps, etc. This intimidating fact shows people that no one is secure from posting personal photos on any platform. The platforms are using our photos to create some of the largest databases ever of facial recognition. There is one holding over 10 million images and another with nearly 2 million and I guarantee none of the people in these images have consented to being included in such databases.

This technology is violating, as Americans, our constitutional rights. These same rights that have been claimed “inalienable” are now in fact alienable due to facial recognition technology. Many Americans faces are being used in this enormous database to unlock technological products, and even solve crimes. These facial images, which majority of people have not the slightest clue they are featured in, are basically a huge police lineup to provide the utmost number of suspects in crime cases. So no, don’t feel like you have nothing to hide or that you are secure with your privacy because someone is always watching now. The government, as well as major companies such as Microsoft and universities with the means, such as Stanford, have access to your facial image and what they can do with it is unbeknownst to us as law abiding citizens.

The easy access to such devices that can provide someone with the ability to pursue facial recognition is astonishing. Cameras are becoming cheaper and cheaper, and thats basically all you need to capture one of these images that pop up in a massive database. This is why San Francisco is voting to ban the use of facial recognition technology by the city’s police force and other agencies. We are becoming a victimized world to surveillance and there seems to be no stopping it. The images are already out there and there is no getting them back. I believe the threat of security and safety of all is being threatened by such rapidly advancing technology and we must shut down the use of it locally, before we can take bigger steps to banning it nationally.