Axon Tests Face Recognition on Body-Worn Cameras

"Axon Enterprise Inc. is working with a Canadian police department to test the addition of face recognition technology (FRT) to its body-worn cameras ( ). This is an alarming development in government surveillance that should put communities everywhere on alert. As many as 50 officers from the Edmonton Police Department (EPD) will begin using these FRT-enabled BWCs today as part of a proof-of-concept experiment. EPD is the first police department in the world to use these Axon devices, according to a report from the Edmonton Journal ."

"FRT brings a rash of problems. It relies on extensive surveillance and collecting images on individuals, law-abiding or otherwise. Misidentifications can cause horrendous consequences for individuals, including prolonged and difficult fights for innocence and unfair incarceration for crimes never committed. In a world where police are using real-time face recognition, law-abiding individuals or those participating in legal, protected activity that police may find objectionable - like protest - could be quickly identified."

Axon Enterprise is conducting a proof-of-concept deployment of face recognition technology on body-worn cameras with the Edmonton Police Department. Approximately 50 officers will use FRT-enabled BWCs, with identifications reviewed after encounters rather than notified in the field. The system will cross-reference a database to flag individuals with safety cautions and those with outstanding warrants for serious crime, effectively creating a watchlist. Face recognition depends on extensive image collection and pervasive surveillance. Misidentifications can lead to wrongful detention, lengthy legal battles, and unfair incarceration. Real-time identification risks exposing law-abiding people and protesters to rapid identification and data linkage across disparate sources.

Read at Electronic Frontier Foundation