| Themes from this article: | | | | allows more effective use of the staff |
| A digital image of a person's face, can be | | | | resources.However most law enforcement |
| matched against a database of other images.The | | | | technologies, including standard CCTV security |
| potential will exist to track the movements of | | | | cameras are only effective with the cooperation |
| everyone in a country.Automatic face recognition | | | | of the people, these systems are often useless |
| is now becoming practical.Face recognition | | | | against those with criminal intent, and this |
| systems in public places, is a matter for serious | | | | technology does not generate irrefutable evidence |
| concen.The shock value of the horrific events on | | | | in adverse conditions, such as those that exist in |
| September 11 could make many people opposed | | | | many airports, which would increase the risk of |
| to excessive security much more tolerant of its | | | | false identifications. The problem is that false |
| implementation.Information is collected and | | | | identification by a person does not involve the |
| transferred without Knolouge or permission from | | | | implied reputation of technological |
| the subjects.Abuse of face recognition may | | | | accuracy.Freedom of actions:Absolute freedom |
| generate additional crimes.The question is that of | | | | would require the absence of any controls, legal |
| proportion, there must be a balance between | | | | of otherwise, this would amount to anarchy. Thus |
| liberty and control. | | | | despite being free to do as we peace, we would, |
| Points inferred indirectly: | | | | ironically, not have the ability to act upon our |
| And everywhere the ceremony of innocence is | | | | pleasure, as our lives would be consumed with the |
| drowned the best lack all conviction while the | | | | nauseate of saying alive! This is in direct contrast |
| worst are full of passionate intensity.Technology is | | | | with what we are able to accomplish with in the |
| intrinsically neutral, how it is used determines if it is | | | | restrictions of society, as a result of the |
| a force for good or evil.The central principle of | | | | opportunities such restriction |
| our culture should be that which makes ours a | | | | creates.Implications:The implications of expediency |
| free democratic society.One can extrapolate from | | | | adopting such systems are numerous fighting |
| historical events such as the unclear tests in 1947, | | | | terrorism notwithstanding, there are many as yet |
| that technologies can not be dis-invented or | | | | unresolved questions as to the uses of a system |
| confined to one use.Data protection Act may | | | | designed to infringe upon the populous without the |
| apply, providing at least some basic rights, (no | | | | consent or knowledge of these people whose |
| other statutory right in English law to personal | | | | faces are captured. As logs as there are |
| privacy).Technology can make surveillance | | | | successive gove |
| cheaper through automation a some | | | | ments, that take control and change policies, the |
| processes.Freedom is only the perception of being | | | | uses of such tools will also be continually |
| autonomous.A society can only be considered | | | | changing.The problems arise when one considers |
| free where the goverment forces do not have | | | | the wider effects that unwanted surveillance may |
| absolute power over the general | | | | have, fore example democracy is in part based |
| populace.Democracy is in part based on the | | | | on the principle that groups can develop views in |
| principles that groups can develop views in | | | | insolation from goverment.One can extrapolate |
| insolation from goverment. | | | | from historical events such as the development |
| Summary:The main points made in an article: | | | | of Atomic weapons, to save thousands on both |
| Security system impresses US officials, a special | | | | sides by ending the second would war without |
| report on the terrorism crisis by Stuart Millar | | | | invading Japan The plans for which were stolen be |
| published in the Guardian on Tuesday September | | | | the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which |
| 25 are summarised as follows:American authorities | | | | started a sequence of events that untimely |
| are committed to deploying a relatively new | | | | ended in the current situation where several minor |
| combination of software and surveillance | | | | nation have the ability to start a chain reaction |
| technologies in response to the attacks of | | | | that would literary destroy the world.Data |
| September 11th as part of an airport security | | | | protection laws:The American people have built |
| review.The system under consideration, known as | | | | into there laws safeguards that could reasonable |
| FaceIt, is designed to identify known suspects, | | | | be used to help prevent the uncontrolled spread |
| through comparison of a person's face against a | | | | of privative systems. We in direct contrast have |
| database of facial images, it does not require the | | | | no rights built rights to protect the privacy of |
| cooperation of the subject, and may not even | | | | information apart from those set into the data |
| generate irrefutable evidence in adverse | | | | protection legislation which maybe a futile gesture |
| conditions, such as those that exist in many | | | | as there are get out glasses for anything evan |
| airports, which would increase the risk of false | | | | remotely related to law enforcement.Innocent |
| identifications.This development is being driven by | | | | Majority:Should this severance technology be |
| political interests and could be implemented on | | | | implemented anywhere, the unique situation will be |
| mass, to form an equivalent to the British ring of | | | | created where information will be collected and |
| steel, supposedly for our safety and protection to | | | | processed without the individual's knowledge and |
| help law enforcement track known subjects. But | | | | will be used without the individual having consent. |
| once in place it's use will invariably be extended | | | | The Data protection Act may apply, providing at |
| over time to infringe upon the populous without | | | | least some basic rights, (no other statutory right |
| our consent or knowledge.The question is that of | | | | in English law to personal privacy exists).Ethical |
| proportion there must be a balance between | | | | Dilemmas:In a stable society the freedom of the |
| liberty and control. It should be noted that the | | | | individual can not be absolute, there must be a |
| current increase in the number of youths waring | | | | balance between liberty and control. It is |
| hoods is possibly a direct result of the introduction | | | | conceivable that there would be no civilised |
| of CCTV systems.Abstract:The populace of an | | | | society without a govement able to curtail liberty |
| informed society would generally resist even the | | | | to a reasonable degree. The question is that of |
| proposal of any potentially repressive technology | | | | proportion technology can be use as a tool for |
| such as the FaceIt facial recognition system, with | | | | control, however over use of such technologies |
| the capacity to indiscriminately report on the | | | | implies oppression.Any technology can effect a |
| movements of any subject, especially when | | | | society in significant ways. Fore example |
| these technological developments are being driven | | | | increasingly travail bits of data are collected, |
| by political interests.However such fears are | | | | transferred precessed and used without the |
| currently being circumvented by the stronger | | | | individual's knowledge, this is a situation in which |
| feelings of national insecurity, which are also | | | | people can be completely manipulated by |
| causing fundamental adjustments in political | | | | technology and it has long been the case that |
| reasoning of the United States authorities whom | | | | legal decisions lag behind technical |
| are by implication encouraging development of | | | | developments.Conclusions:There is an old Buddhist |
| technologies previously believed to be technically | | | | proverb that states "To every man is given the |
| and socially unjustifiable.The United States | | | | key to the gates of heaven; the same key opens |
| goverment:Is committed to deploying a derivation | | | | the gates of hell". Words of wisdom and of waing |
| of traditional surveillance technology, in response | | | | as within computerisation lies such a key.The |
| to a review of airport security in lite of the | | | | implication is that nearly everything has some kind |
| attacks of September 11th, as a measure to help | | | | of cost to it, new technologies are not created |
| prevent simular incidents in the future. This may | | | | instantaneously, so the consequences of such |
| be a futile gesture as they are looking at | | | | new systems are also not instantaneously |
| technology to identify known suspects, the | | | | realised, if we choose to ignore certain |
| problem is that this is not very useful as it is the | | | | circumstances in fever of expedient action, in the |
| unknown terrorists that the authorities need to be | | | | end, the full implications will be realised, |
| conce | | | | unfortunately too late.As implied above, the |
| ed about.Technology:This is a relatively new | | | | events of September 11th are important, these |
| combination of software and surveillance | | | | events have almost certainly changed things |
| technologies, the basic components of the FaceIt | | | | forever. The question is that of proportion, this is |
| system under consideration have been about for | | | | what will determine whether the have won or not. |
| years, the system is designed to identify known | | | | Especially when these systems are idolised and |
| people in public, this could be implemented to form | | | | become more important then the humans that |
| an equivalent to the British ring of steel and | | | | they exist to serve, we know from history that |
| notwithstanding a highly unlikely series of events | | | | this sequence of events inevitably fall back upon |
| resulting in absolute control of this type of | | | | and destroy its makers in the end. Such subject |
| technology, invariably it will find other uses. For | | | | have as yet been sadly lacking in our studies |
| example, marketing research is frequently carried | | | | thus.Technology is intrinsically neutral, how it is |
| out via the use of surveys. It would be a trivial | | | | used determines if it is a force for good or evil, if |
| matter to use such a powerful security system | | | | a technology offers savings to one segment of |
| to generate statistical data for analysing consumer | | | | society, some cost may be exacted ageist |
| trends.This technology may be able to capture | | | | another. The Bible will teach us that we are to |
| and analyse an image of your face, identify you | | | | count the !cost of our commitments. Is there a |
| from a see of people, read your face and even | | | | price tag for your soul? Jesus asks the most |
| infer things from your body language, but the | | | | profound question "What does it profit a man if |
| context outside the view of the cameras and the | | | | he gains the whole world but loses his own soul in |
| essence of the moment will be lost | | | | hell forever" Jesus is asking if we have really |
| forever.Effectiveness:The efficiency of any | | | | thought about costs; spiritual and material. (Jesus |
| technology is a function of firstly its inherent | | | | said, Matthew 16:26).As long as we can justify the |
| advantages over traditional methods and secondly | | | | cost in terms of how it allows us it feel safer, |
| whether its use would solve more problems than | | | | then we are free because we believe the gove |
| it would create.Automation of surveillance | | | | ment is curtailing our liberty to allow a better |
| operations may reduce part of the administration | | | | quality of life. However, if as a society we accept |
| required, through effective communications and | | | | invasive methods of protection then we surrender |
| more centralised control, than is possible with | | | | a little more freedom to choose how to five as |
| human surveillance. The implication being that | | | | we see fit and not as other would dictate. This |
| reduction in the time necessary to complete | | | | includes the right to life without others watching |
| inconsequential tasks (moving paper around) | | | | our every move. |