| http://www.ptconnect.com/archive/today/new18.asp
Face scans raise concerns By Will Shuck From our Sacramento Bureau SACRAMENTO … What could be a law enforcement dream, a computer that can look at thousands of faces and match them against pictures of wanted criminals, could also be an unacceptable invasion of privacy and a step toward an Orwellian future, say supporters of a bill that would restrict the use of face-scanning technology. State Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Redondo Beach, wants to set guidelines on the use of "face-scanning" technology, hoping to prevent databases that she says could ultimately be used to keep track of everywhere people go and everything they do. "It's the most Orwellian of the new technologies," said Bowen, whose bill, SB169, was approved by the Senate Privacy Committee Wednesday. "I think it gives people the creeps to think that cameras are keeping digital representations of their face that can be matched against a database." In a highly publicized test of the technology's law enforcement potential, Tampa, Fla., police, with the help of a company called Visage Technology, digitally scanned the faces of 100,000 fans at Super Bowl XXXV. During the game, police compared the scans to mug shots, and made 19 apparent matches, though no arrests. Bowen's bill would require all images that didn't match a specific target suspect to be deleted, so they couldn't be compiled in a database. The bill would force police agencies to obtain a search warrant before scanning a crowd, and prohibit the sale or transfer of the digital images. It also would require businesses to alert customers if the technology is in use. Sen. Ross Johnson, R-Irvine, called it overly restrictive and compared facial scans to fingerprints, which are given as a requirement for many types of employment and for military service. But, countered Bowen, one is aware when giving fingerprints. A facial scan can be obtained without a person's permission or knowledge. Johnson was not convinced. He voted against the bill and said its requirement that people be informed before their image is taken, is like "putting up signs all over California and saying, 'Don't go this way if you don't want to be seen by a cop.'‚" The bill would not affect the use of red light cameras, like those being installed at a handful of intersections in Long Beach. |
