The goal of the Chinese government is simple and unambiguous; they want to use facial recognition technology to track and trace every single citizen and visitor inside the country, from a new born babe in Shanghai to an elderly recluse in Guangzhou. The citizens themselves are not being asked for any input on the matter. They may as well put their camera tech on the moon at this point.
Britain has instigated a high tech monitoring of motorists on all national highways — not on license plates, but on the faces of drivers and passengers. Facial recognition on British roads will enhance the safety of everyone traveling, say British authorities.
In the United States facial recognition technology is one of the biggest sells by tech companies to cities and states anxious to rein in terrorists and prevent/manage mass shootings. But in Detroit when the city installed facial recognition cameras at every stoplight a firestorm of protest broke out, with protestors claiming the technology was being used to profile minorities. Detroit eventually dismantled some of the cameras in certain neighborhoods.
Digital rights groups like Fight for the Future are pushing for an outright ban on all facial recognition technology in the public sector. They claim it should only be used for private security purposes, and kept out of the hands of law enforcement authorities and big government because it is too easy to abuse.
