Frightening! Big Brother's here!
Discussion
Quote from todays (4th Feb 2002) Electronic Telegraph
Dawn of speed cameras that never forget a face
(Filed: 31/01/2002)
Face recognition technology intended to identify airline terrorists could be used to catch speeding drivers within five years, a senior chief constable said yesterday.
Richard Brunstrom, head of the technical committee of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said advances in such systems would allow roadside cameras to identify motorists who escape fines because their car is not registered or is not their own.
Mr Brunstrom, chief constable of North Wales, told a committee of MPs that 10 per cent of speeding drivers caught by number-plate cameras avoided penalties.
He believes the recognition software could capture an accurate image of the driver's unique facial features, even at high speeds.
This image could then be checked against a photographic database, such as photocard licences or possibly national identity cards.
Facial recognition systems have been adopted at a number of airports in America since the September 11 hijackings. Police in Newham, east London, are also experimenting with them as a general anti-crime measure.
However, the RAC Foundation said: "This is heavy Big Brother stuff. There is a real danger of becoming over-reliant on technology, and investing in equipment just because it is there."
The AA said the issue was far more complex than Mr Brunstrom was suggesting. John Dawson, its policy director, said: "This idea raises a host of sensitive civil liberties matters which would require very careful examination."
A prominent researcher in facial recognition, Prof David Perrett of the University of St Andrews, said: "These systems are getting incredibly sophisticated, but they are not robust enough. I hope police cases in future don't rest on this evidence alone."
Bloody frightening what they'll get up to next!!!
Dawn of speed cameras that never forget a face
(Filed: 31/01/2002)
Face recognition technology intended to identify airline terrorists could be used to catch speeding drivers within five years, a senior chief constable said yesterday.
Richard Brunstrom, head of the technical committee of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said advances in such systems would allow roadside cameras to identify motorists who escape fines because their car is not registered or is not their own.
Mr Brunstrom, chief constable of North Wales, told a committee of MPs that 10 per cent of speeding drivers caught by number-plate cameras avoided penalties.
He believes the recognition software could capture an accurate image of the driver's unique facial features, even at high speeds.
This image could then be checked against a photographic database, such as photocard licences or possibly national identity cards.
Facial recognition systems have been adopted at a number of airports in America since the September 11 hijackings. Police in Newham, east London, are also experimenting with them as a general anti-crime measure.
However, the RAC Foundation said: "This is heavy Big Brother stuff. There is a real danger of becoming over-reliant on technology, and investing in equipment just because it is there."
The AA said the issue was far more complex than Mr Brunstrom was suggesting. John Dawson, its policy director, said: "This idea raises a host of sensitive civil liberties matters which would require very careful examination."
A prominent researcher in facial recognition, Prof David Perrett of the University of St Andrews, said: "These systems are getting incredibly sophisticated, but they are not robust enough. I hope police cases in future don't rest on this evidence alone."
Bloody frightening what they'll get up to next!!!
this is scaremongering... it could happen sometime well into the future, but as usual, the article is replete with the usual lack of technical awareness from journalists only interested in sensational stories..
See the following from The Register:
www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/23559.html
yet again, this is "Brunstom's Lunatic Rantings" (Patent Pending 2002)
Business Idea though - now could be the time to buy Blunkett (+Dog) masks in bulk
>> Edited by CarZee on Monday 4th February 15:16
See the following from The Register:
www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/23559.html
quote:There is an emerging technology which may 'improve' face recognition, based on stereographic vision rather than single-lens device, but it's embryonic right now..
Crowd surveillance kit using face recognition technology by Visionics has been a comic failure in tests by the Tampa, Florida police, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has discovered.
By leveraging the Florida open-records law, the watchdog organization obtained system logs proving that the Visionics contraption has thus far failed to identify one single crook or pervert listed in the department's photographic database, while falsely identifying 'a large number' of innocent citizens.
yet again, this is "Brunstom's Lunatic Rantings" (Patent Pending 2002)
Business Idea though - now could be the time to buy Blunkett (+Dog) masks in bulk
>> Edited by CarZee on Monday 4th February 15:16
I don't have a problem with this if used properly because the only additional ability it would give the plod is to be able to recognise, crims, no insurance, no tax, people who put their mrs up for gatso fines, and general low life. My problem is with blanket cameras in inappropriate places and Gestapo coppers.
What is so disappointing is that here is a potentially valuable technology which has the potential to help prevent all sorts of serious crimes - try using it in ATM machines and to confirm identity for credit card transactions for instance, how about identifying all those drunken plonkers who make a decent night out in most towns so difficult, weirdoes who hang around schools selling dope, dope peddlers anywhere for that matter, muggers, rapists, perverts, vandals, car thieves, terrorists, shoplifters, fraudsters, the little t**t who thinks it's OK to spray his name on my garden fence, the list is endless.
But no, the first thing that happens is that some jerk decides to turn it on the poor bloody motorist yet again.
But no, the first thing that happens is that some jerk decides to turn it on the poor bloody motorist yet again.
quote:
But no, the first thing that happens is that some jerk decides to turn it on the poor bloody motorist yet again.
Thats when they quote the prices involved in setting up a system like this and they look at how the hell they are going to cover the cost! b@startds
Like you say this sort of technology, if and when it works could be put to so many better uses...
>> Edited by marv on Monday 4th February 22:49
Spot on Steve, I've been infuriated by the latest news of "lightened criminal sentences" it seems that the minister is saying non-violent crimes. Well I for one am not happy that car thieves/burgulars (ie none violent) will be allowed to to "work" all week and be in jail at the weekend. Perhaps a camera in the car parks to spot the b@st@rds would be an excellent idea.
quote:Can't say I'm entirely in agreement with you here Smeagol.. As I understand it, 'part-time' chokey will involve a curfew on weekdays which will allow people to work - ie curfew will be 8pm-6am or some such and this will be implemnented using electronic tagging.
Spot on Steve, I've been infuriated by the latest news of "lightened criminal sentences" it seems that the minister is saying non-violent crimes. Well I for one am not happy that car thieves/burgulars (ie none violent) will be allowed to to "work" all week and be in jail at the weekend. Perhaps a camera in the car parks to spot the b@st@rds would be an excellent idea.
What it will mean is that people who get done for something non-violent (and are not persistent offenders) will not have their lives destroyed by going to prison, which seems to give rise to the conversion to 'career criminal'.
Equally, there will be more room in prisons so that violent crims such as car-jackers, muggers, rapists etc can be locked away for longer and hence provide a better deterrent.
What I'm not altogether clear on is where they'll keep all these weekend prisoners - though I half expect to see my office building let-out at weekends for this sort of purpose.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff