New York Student Sues Apple for False Arrest After Being Mistakenly Identified as Store Thief [Updated]

[Kabeyun]

Why aren’t the news outlets highlighting the fact that Apple is tracking people’s faces without their knowledge in their retail stores?

Because right now it’s something called an “allegation,” which means that some guy and his lawyer claim this is happening in order to help them win money. No need to freak out just yet.
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Thats the real story here! if its true

Exactly. If it’s true. Which we don’t yet know. So let’s not go all apey just yet.
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i assume that the facial recognition is managed and owed by a third party and is in no way linked to any of Apples databases.

Why is everyone here screaming about privacy issues before knowing what’s going on?

Because that’s how Internet forums, especially MR forums, do.

 

[kingalexthe1st]

For 1 billion? Good luck.

These snide, know-it-all comments wind me up.
In law cases you can be awarded UP TO the amount you are seeking. So lawyers routinely make these numbers really high because if you sue for $10,000 then that's all you're entitled to. The claimant won't be expecting $1 billion, but they're hedging their bets on the cautious side.

 

[jimbobb24]

If it is found there was no criminal intent with wrong information being given to law enforcement, said person(s) can still face civil action by the aggrieved party.

I would be interested in how often those cases are won and what current case law is.

 

[now i see it]

A testament to apple's face recognition technology

 

[tito2020]

Haha! I'm sure even his lawyers & legal team know that's not going to happen. But by suing for such a ridiculously high & far fetched high amount, they open the "potential" settlement to be anything underneath that.v

People get that money

 

[lolkthxbai]

I’m not sure Apple would be liable because the police are the ones that perform arrests. At most, Apple may have security apprehend him in the store and report him to the police but the lost ID may explain the mistaken identity issue. I also doubt, that if the victim won the case they’d win the $1 billion dollars they are asking for... perhaps more in the thousand range, depending on the facts of the apprehension and arrest... Sounds like a money grab given the opportunity and I don’t blame him but then he also loses points for credibility in my book.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

But...but...but...Apple values privacy....Tim Cook and a bunch of commercials said so.

And safety is job one at Boeing!

What, too soon?

 

[pweicks]

I understand Apples fault in this, but this kid sounds like a typical snowflake.

 

[Stevez67]

According to Bah, Apple's in-store facial recognition software mistakenly linked him to a series of thefts from Apple Stores, leading to his arrest back in November.

Article Link: New York Student Sues Apple for False Arrest After Being Mistakenly Identified as Store Thief

By "in-store facial recognition software" do they mean "surveillance video?"

 

[Khedron]

By "in-store facial recognition software" do they mean "surveillance video?"

Surveillance video typically just provides images at a requested time. Apple's system supposedly provided a face and a name, implying tracking and a database.

 

[BigMcGuire]

These snide, know-it-all comments wind me up.
In law cases you can be awarded UP TO the amount you are seeking. So lawyers routinely make these numbers really high because if you sue for $10,000 then that's all you're entitled to. The claimant won't be expecting $1 billion, but they're hedging their bets on the cautious side.

How is it a snide comment when all you did was confirm what @Relentless Power said?

 

[Shanghaichica]

I understand Apples fault in this, but this kid sounds like a typical snowflake.

Obviously we don’t know if this was the police departments fault or Apple’s. However if I was falsely accused of a crime and arrested I would be extremely upset.

 

[koa]

Not many facts in the article. Wouldn’t compensation need to be in line with the damages he can prove he suffered? Without the lawsuit, basically no one would know he was questioned. If he loses the lawsuit, can he be sued by Apple for their lawyer fees? Maybe it’s legit, but a billion dollars implies otherwise.

 

[dannyyankou]

While $1 Billion is clearly excessive, I do hope that he receives fair compensation for his hardship. In addition, Apple should be more forthcoming about its use of facial recognition in its stores.

It is a complete surprise to me that Apple is actively identifying all guests who walk into the store. As a company that is touting privacy in its recent marketing campaigns, Apple owes all of us, Mr. Bah included, a thorough explanation.

You can literally buy something with the Apple store app on your phone and leave without speaking to a specialist. With that comes extra security measures to stop theft.

 

[BigMcGuire]

You can literally buy something with the Apple store app on your phone and leave without speaking to a specialist. With that comes extra security measures to stop theft.

Couldn't believe this actually existed until one of the helpful geniuses showed me how to do this. Absolutely love it. Though I order almost everything online now.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Yes, he is. You’re defending trying to hold people liable for actually using law enforcement to investigate a crime.
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What wrong information? “Here is our store video and here is the document that was used for the theft.”? Apple didn’t identify any specific person. They handed it off to police and a judge clearly thought there was enough to go through standard process.

I was speaking in general terms.

 

[johannnn]

Should people get 1B every time they’re falsely arrested? Please arrest me!

 

[neuropsychguy]

Surveillance video typically just provides images at a requested time. Apple's system supposedly provided a face and a name, implying tracking and a database.

Apple has released a comment saying they do not use facial recognition: https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/23/apple-facial-recognition-false-arrest-lawsuit/

 

[Onelifenofear]

Good! Pay up Apple!

I post a picture of Dr Evil doing the classic 1 Billion Dollars finger in mouth and it gets deleted for being frivolous.. yet this survives.

 

[eoblaed]

ONE BILLION DOLLARS!!!!!

What is this kid, Dr Evil Jr?

 

[Zito Abroad]

Good rant brah, Except that the Face ID data is stored only on and never leaves your phone.

Also, Apple gets none of your spending info from their card. Goldman gets some of it but can’t use it for anything but managing the card business.

What’s your hidden agenda in spreading untruths here?

Oh the days of complete faith in everything Apple says to be truthful. I remember them well, but no more for this guy.

 

[macduke]

This is going to be a really interesting case if it comes to light that Apple uses facial recognition to track customers in their stores. Makes me less likely to go to a physical location. So much for privacy, eh? We'll see if this is true. The billion dollar claim isn't helping his case, though. Something more like a few million would make it seem more reasonable. Is there any reason to set a value this high because he wants it to actually go to trial, instead of settling, so the truth about their system will come to light? Any lawyers here want to weigh in on that?

 

[JetTester]

Given Apple's willingness to engage in litigation over amounts much smaller than that, they should be happy to throw lawyers at this guy until he and his legal team cry uncle and offer to pay Apple to just go away.

 

[bigjnyc]

That’s the world we live in, in today’s age of when someone feels they’re ‘entitled’ to money due to legalities where they have been ‘subjected to severe stress and hardships’ as the article indicates , they will reach for the highest number possible, even if they’re not rewarded that, in the end, it’s all about the money versus the real reason why they are suing.

Suing is the only way to hold a large corporation accountable for causing you embarrassment... What else can he really do? he's not famous enough to start a movement for people to boycott Apple... and vandalizing their stores would be illegal.... Should he just walk away with the embarrassment and shame of being cast as a criminal and let apple slide because they are such nice folks? Easy to sit there and judge but I bet if that had happened to you, you would be outraged.

 

[coolfactor]

But...but...but...Apple values privacy....Tim Cook and a bunch of commercials said so.

Don't believe everything you read online. Police would not arrest someone purely based on outside information. If they did make this arrest without following procedure, they are at fault, not Apple.
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Suing is the only way to hold a large corporation accountable for causing you embarrassment... What else can he really do? he's not famous enough to start a movement for people to boycott Apple... and vandalizing their stores would be illegal.... Should he just walk away with the embarrassment and shame of being cast as a criminal and let apple slide because they are such nice folks? Easy to sit there and judge but I bet if that had happened to you, you would be outraged.

I agree, but facts are important. The arrest would have been made by the police, not Apple. Technology is not perfect, so Apple deserves some leeway here. If the police acted on information without doing their own verification, the police are at fault, not Apple.