Facebook Weighing Up Legality of Facial Recognition in Upcoming Smart Glasses

[shplock]

Several benefits even for people in one’s address book:

1. Remind one of someone’s name in case one has forgotten (especially for those with face blindness).
2. Remind one of last phone call or meeting date (again just in case one has forgotten).
3. Remind one of the person’s spouse’s name, bf name, gf name, kids name, etc.
4. Log that you saw them so you can ”remember” for your next conversation.

People with assistants already have this “functionality” and this would democratize this.

It would depend on how they worked. AR glasses that did local recognition and did not record video without an specific action and indicator (like that on the Snap Spectacles) would be fine with me. Something that streamed the video feed to Google or Facebook? Not going to happen for me.

It also will be used to stalk, and harm and harass innocent people!

 

[shplock]

I mean I’m a pro at wearing masks at this point. If Facebook rolls this out I guess it’s masks from now on. Utter invasion of privacy.

The irony is that with Facebook and Mark being so Right wing it means that the right all have been having major meltdowns because they were asked to wear a mask which they all said is an invasion of privacy and their rights!
Only they will, I guarantee, be more than happy to wear these glasses which invade everyone else's privacy including their own!

 

[shplock]

Does it bother you if it is on-device with a local database only? I do not have much of an issue with the recognition itself, only with any service creating a geo tagged log of every where I was. This would especially be an issue if it can work with the data from all of these so that I get no only the data from my device, but from yours and everyone else’s.

There is no and I mean NO way that FB would ever allow any degree of privacy for any user!
They want our data and as much as they can get!

 

[shplock]

How? Stalkers do not need to face recognition, they know who they are tracking. What does this enable that was not available before?

Plenty!
Such as stalkers who stalk their ex because they dumped them and changed their social media profile not to mention moved address.
Plenty of women are killed each year by abusive partners who decided if I can no longer have you then nobody will.

 

[cmaier]

Don't be silly! It is a well known part of Neuroscience!

It is called use it or lose it!

It is a part of a larger frame work called elasticity!

Sorry but you are wrong and I am right.

The point is that “losing it” is of little consequence. Maybe read what I wrote before replying.

 

[cmaier]

There is no and I mean NO way that FB would ever allow any degree of privacy for any user!
They want our data and as much as they can get!

We aren’t talking about facebook. Please read.

 

[cmaier]

Plenty!
Such as stalkers who stalk their ex because they dumped them and changed their social media profile not to mention moved address.
Plenty of women are killed each year by abusive partners who decided if I can no longer have you then nobody will.

But the ”stalker” would be standing in front of the abused partner, looking at them. How does facial recognition help that stalker stalk?

 

[Gasu E.]

Please, no face recognition. I do NOT trust Facebook on this (and many other things).

Facial recognition algorithms are not the problem. The Photos application on your Mac does facial recognition. It's that big central database with everybody's face that is the problem.

 

[Gasu E.]

I think it would still be useful - not to tell me who the person is, but to tell me information about the person that I might not remember. “Wife’s name is ____.” “Has been working at Big Co. since ____”. “Has __ kids and a pet ____”

It could also gather information about the encounter, to be stored on-device for my own later use. “You last saw ___ on Dec. 2, 2020, at this location ____”

If you’re in a big crowd, you might not notice someone, and the glasses could give you a notification - “____ from your contacts is here”

Right. I think most people are conflating "facial recognition algorithms" with "giant central shared database with everyone's face in it". The algorithms aren't the problem; it's the database.

 

[Suckfest 9001]

Does it bother you if it is on-device with a local database only? I do not have much of an issue with the recognition itself, only with any service creating a geo tagged log of every where I was. This would especially be an issue if it can work with the data from all of these so that I get no only the data from my device, but from yours and everyone else’s.

Honestly if it was only on device with a local database I’d be far more receptive to it. But we all know which route Facebook would go if they implemented this. Your information is their primary source of income.

 

[Suckfest 9001]

The irony is that with Facebook and Mark being so Right wing it means that the right all have been having major meltdowns because they were asked to wear a mask which they all said is an invasion of privacy and their rights!
Only they will, I guarantee, be more than happy to wear these glasses which invade everyone else's privacy including their own!

Exactly yeah, I don’t think they’re self-aware enough to realize hypocrisy when they see it. 2c of course

 

[dontwalkhand]

Facial recognition on Apple products more than likely powered by on device learning and full of privacy options—engage and ask the wearer how it works.

Facial recognition on Facebook products, punch the wearer in the face.

 

[swm]

wow. awesome tech. you will know instantly who to punch in the face. (i.e. the one who wears this cr.ppy glass)

 

[Alan Wynn]

Honestly if it was only on device with a local database I’d be far more receptive to it.

I love the idea for conferences. It would be so nice if everyone at the conference got a time limited local database of all the attendees (would not need to be face based, it could be NFC tag based), so that you could get little notifications that the author of the paper you wanted to meet is right by the desert table.

But we all know which route Facebook would go if they implemented this. Your information is their primary source of income.

How can you say that about them? They only have your best interests in mind. Oh and the small businesses. And of course “The Children”.

 

[Alan Wynn]

There is no and I mean NO way that FB would ever allow any degree of privacy for any user!
They want our data and as much as they can get!

I could not find it when I re-read my post, so could you point out to me where I mentioned Facebook? Just checked again, and still do not see it.

 

[Alan Wynn]

Plenty!
Such as stalkers who stalk their ex because they dumped them and changed their social media profile not to mention moved address.
Plenty of women are killed each year by abusive partners who decided if I can no longer have you then nobody will.

Wow. Great explanation as to why stalkers are bad, but no connection or explanation what that has to do with face recognition in AR glasses. Still looking for a connection.

 

[Alan Wynn]

I’d be worried about being stalked by facebook employees

I know you said you would not give legal advice on the internet, but is there a constitutional problem requiring that FaceBook employees be branded with a blue-FB on their foreheads? I was not sure if that would be considered compelled speech. 🙃

 

[Alan Wynn]

It also will be used to stalk, and harm and harass innocent people!

How?

 

[Alan Wynn]

Facial recognition on Apple products more than likely powered by on device learning and full of privacy options—engage and ask the wearer how it works.

It is funny. This is likely to be true because their business interests align with this goal. If it is done on-device, you are paying for the compute and power resources and not them. If they gain nothing from the data, then they would rather not have it as they cannot be subpoenaed to produce it.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Matrix XXVI: Mr. Smith gets new glasses.

 

[Rigby]

Several benefits even for people in one’s address book:

1. Remind one of someone’s name in case one has forgotten (especially for those with face blindness).
2. Remind one of last phone call or meeting date (again just in case one has forgotten).
3. Remind one of the person’s spouse’s name, bf name, gf name, kids name, etc.
4. Log that you saw them so you can ”remember” for your next conversation.

People with assistants already have this “functionality” and this would democratize this.

With the exception of 1) this could all be done without face recognition (e.g. by linking the address book to the call history).

It would depend on how they worked. AR glasses that did local recognition and did not record video without an specific action and indicator (like that on the Snap Spectacles) would be fine with me. Something that streamed the video feed to Google or Facebook? Not going to happen for me.

I don't trust indicators, nor do I want to remember for every model of AR glasses whether they have one or not.

 

[cmaier]

With the exception of 1) this could all be done without face recognition (e.g. by linking the address book to the call history).

I don't trust indicators, nor do I want to remember for every model of AR glasses whether they have one or not.

How does linking the address book to the call history help? I’m standing looking at someone. The glasses pop up a notification with this information about the person. You think it‘s socially acceptable for me to say “hang on a minute, i need to see if I can find you in my call history to figure out the name of your wife who is standing over there.”

 

[Rigby]

How does linking the address book to the call history help? I’m standing looking at someone. The glasses pop up a notification with this information about the person. You think it‘s socially acceptable for me to say “hang on a minute, i need to see if I can find you in my call history to figure out the name of your wife who is standing over there.”

Have a button in the address book that brings up a list of calls to/from any given contact to solve 2). Many address books can link related contacts to solve 3) (even Apple Contacts has a "related name" field). This is all information that would be required anyway for pulling up the info in AR glasses. Just that -- the horror -- you'd have to look at your phone.

 

[fat boy]

I can’t believe there is a single person with good intentions who would want this.

Look-up Prosopagnosia and let me know what you think

 

[Alan Wynn]

With the exception of 1) this could all be done without face recognition (e.g. by linking the address book to the call history).

No. All of these would the notifications in response to recognizing a face. This could either be the person to whom you are talking or someone in your immediate vicinity.

I don't trust indicators, nor do I want to remember for every model of AR glasses whether they have one or not.

Should not be two hard to remember the one or two that are made by Apple and are clearly identifiable. You can decide that you do not want to talk to anyone who wears one from any other manufacturer. However, I am still unclear what your specific concern is. You are already talking to this person. If they know who you are, what does this do that they could not do without this? If they do not know who you are, you would not be in their local database, so again not clear what your concern is.

If you are worried about someone taking your picture in a public place, uploading it to FaceBook, and being matched, how would these glasses change anything over what would happens today? (I am not advocating for it, just trying to understand the specific concern.)