So let’s face it. Facial recognition is a controversial subject in the IT service? and IT support community. Some say it helps keep us safe and protects us from terrorists and hackers. But others say it’s another step towards privacy invasion. Microsoft addresses it all. Microsoft and facial recognition: What does it mean?
So in July 2018, Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote a blog. This blog talked about all things facial recognition, the good and the bad. He also said the company worked on a set of rules to control this new technology. But now, let’s fast forward six months to today. Yes, Smith wrote another blog post addressing facial recognition.
However, in this one, he laid out six principles that will guide Microsoft’s ambitions. They include things like fairness, consent, and accountability. They also include a term, ‘lawful surveillance’. But to Micorsoft’s credit, they are asking everybody’s opinion about this. This includes everyone, from employees, customers, lawyers, law officials, even some political leaders. They talked about other concerns too. Racial profiling is a huge one. It also seems like they want to ensure ‘human control’ of this before this controls them. Microsoft will spend much of early 2019 asking for people’s say about this.
It seems Microsoft is saying and doing all the right things. I applaud them for it. I hope they keep this up. Plus, I hope they don’t do what Amazon did. They sold their facial recognition programs to the law. Some may say this is a good idea, but I don’t. I think this gives both Amazon and law enforcement too much powers. I’m not the only one. At least with this case, Microsoft is asking for people’s input, and people from all walks of life. Of all the tech companies who control facial recognition technology, Microsoft is being the most democratic about it. Microsoft and facial recognition: What does this mean? Did you know the Real ID coming out will involve facial recognition technology?