Facial recognition remains extremely controversial. Approximately 46% of US adults think widespread use of the technology by police would be good for society, while 27% think it’s a bad idea, according to Pew Research.
Despite criticism, Kansas City is pushing ahead with plans to install facial recognition on its buses. According to the Associated Press, images captured by onboard cameras will be cross-referenced against facial scans if there is an active alert from police, including databases of banned riders or missing persons. Routine video footage will be retained for up to five years, while non-matching face data will not be stored continuously.
The cameras will be operated by SafeSpace Global, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based company that has previously operated facial recognition cameras in nursing homes. “It’s not sitting there filming all the time,” SafeSpace Global CEO Scott Boruff told AP. “It just captures the face and goes away.”…