Surveys are propaganda, vary widely with the nature of questions asked, and yet are then compared to other studies to demonstrate trends. Just watch to see who promotes or demotes a given survey and you will determine who has an axe to grind. ⁃ TN Editor
A growing number of Americans are OK with the facial recognition technology, especially if it increases public safety, according to a national survey released Monday.
Conducted on a national poll of 3,151 U.S. adults in December, the survey found only one in four Americans believe the federal government should strictly limit the use of facial biometrics technology.
The survey also indicates Americans are more likely to support any apparent tradeoff to their own privacy caused by facial recognition technology if it benefits law enforcement, reduces shoplifting or speeds up airport security lines.
Only 18 percent of those polled said they agreed with strict limitations on facial recognition tech if it comes at the expense of public safety, compared to 55 percent who disagreed with such limitations.
“People are often suspicious of new technologies, but in this case, they seem to have warmed up to facial recognition technology quite quickly,” said Daniel Castro, director of the Center for Data Innovation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute that conducted the survey.
“Perhaps most importantly, Americans have made it clear they do not want regulations that limit the use of facial recognition if it comes at the cost of public safety,” Castro said.
The findings indicate a potential shift in public thinking.
A September 2018 study by the Brookings Institution found half of Americans favored limitations of the use of facial recognition by law enforcement, while 42 percent felt it invaded personal privacy rights.
Further, Americans appear more comfortable with facial recognition as its accuracy improves. The Center for Data Innovation survey found 59 percent of Americans agree with the use of facial recognition technology if the software is right 100 percent of the time compared to 39 percent who agreed with the technology if it is right 80 percent of the time.
“The survey results suggest that one of the most important ways for police to gain public support for using facial recognition technology in their communities is to use the most accurate tools available,” said Castro. “People are willing to get behind police use of facial recognition technology as long as it is accurate and makes their communities safer.”
They never asked me. I think facial recognition is going to cause us to lose what little privacy we have left, because the technocrats will not stop with just looking for people who have committed a serious crime. Soon they will be using it in any way that gives the officials more control over innocents as well. We can look at China to see where this is going to go.
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They never asked me. I think facial recognition is going to cause us to lose what little privacy we have left, because the technocrats will not stop with just looking for people who have committed a serious crime. Soon they will be using it in any way that gives the officials more control over innocents as well. We can look at China to see where this is going to go.