A city’s push for facial recognition on public buses ignites debate over security and privacy

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Category: Technology/Innovations

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. litmus test / ˈlɪt məs tɛst / (n.) – an event, decision, or situation that is used to clearly prove or judge whether something is acceptable, successful, or true
    Example:

    How the company handles customer complaints is a litmus test of its true values.


  2. epicenter / ˈɛp əˌsɛn tər / (n.) – the central point where the most important activity happens and where key events or decisions take place
    Example:

    Our school is the epicenter of a big discussion about whether students can use AI for their homework.


  3. decline / dɪˈklaɪn / (v.) – to say no politely or officially when asked to do something, offered something, or invited somewhere
    Example:

    The manager declined to sign the agreement until he read all the details.


  4. venture / ˈvɛn tʃər / (n.) – a new business activity, project, or plan that involves risk or uncertainty
    Example:

    A car company and a tech company decided to work on a new venture to build electric cars.


  5. archive / ˈɑr kaɪv / (v.) – to collect and save electronic information in a safe place on a computer system so it is kept permanently and can be found if needed later
    Example:

    Our company decided to archive old emails instead of deleting them forever.


Article

Read the text below.

Officials in Kansas City, Missouri, are preparing to equip some public buses with cameras with facial recognition software capable of identifying passengers who appear on a list of banned riders or missing persons.


Supporters and opponents alike view the effort as a major litmus test for tapping the AI-powered software on a U.S. public transportation system, positioning Kansas City as the latest epicenter of a fierce debate over whether the safety benefits of artificial intelligence are worth the privacy costs.


“The idea of running face recognition on a camera that is pointed at live spaces in public is a line that until recently has never really been crossed in the last 25 years,” said Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst for the Project on Speech, Privacy and Technology at the American Civil Liberties Union.


The state of Missouri declined to help fund the project as expected due to concerns with the facial recognition component. Still, the city is pushing ahead with local and federal money, said Tyler Means, chief mobility and strategy officer at the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority.


“Privacy is always a tricky thing,” Means said. “We’ve always had cameras on our buses. It’s just new technology. I think in time it’ll smooth over and people will realize, ‘Well, it didn’t really feel any different.'”


SafeSpace Global, the Knoxville, Tennessee-based company partnering with Kansas City to run the cameras, started using live facial recognition years ago to alert nursing homes when residents left the building, then brought the technology to correctional institutions and schools. Kansas City’s buses represent the company’s inaugural venture in transportation.


Images captured by cameras aboard the buses would immediately be checked against any active alerts generated when a missing person, banned rider, or someone on a law enforcement watch list designated by the transportation authority is identified.


If no match or safety issue is detected, the facial data won’t be retained. After the buses return to the depot, the transportation authority would archive the regular video footage on a local server for up to five years.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • The article mentions that if the camera with facial recognition software does not find a match, your facial data is deleted immediately. Does this rule make you trust the system? Why or why not? Do you think the local government should get the citizens’ approval first before installing this type of technology in public spaces? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • If your city decided to start a similar program in your city/town, would you look for alternative ways to travel, or would you continue riding the bus as usual? What main factors would affect your decision? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • When you walk through public spaces like streets, parks, and train stations, do you still expect some privacy, or do you just accept that being watched by cameras is normal today? Why do you say so? Do you think people behave differently when they know a camera is watching them? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what should be the limit for security cameras in public (ex. recording video for safety but not matching names or faces)? Why do you think we should set this limit? Discuss.