Retail Stores Begin Using Facial Recognition to Stop Theft
Criminal Attorney in Miami
In an age of increasing surveillance, yet another level of technology is being added to the growing list of surveillance methods employed by companies and police alike: facial recognition. Walmart is one of the first companies to do so in the US, though its system is currently only in its test stages. In the State of Florida such surveillance technologies are restricted. For the technophobes among us, this thought should provide some relief, especially since facial recognition technology is not yet completely accurate, and may result in wrongful prosecution. If you believe that you’ve been unreasonably prosecuted through the use of facial recognition technology, it may be worthwhile to hire a Miami criminal defense attorney to fight your case.
Google’s Facenet system is a project which aims to produce enough data to generate accurate facial recognition technology through deep learning. As per 2016 studies, Google demonstrated that as the size of a sample group increases, accuracy begins to drop off. Within a group of 1 million people, accuracy drops to only 75%. Such facts can in theory form a useful basis for a defendant who hires a criminal attorney in Miami in the belief that they have been wrongfully accused of shoplifting.
The system has been rolled out in the US by the FaceFirst company. It provides the retailer with a positive match drawing from a database provided by police services. Although common in Europe, the technology does not have a large database of shoplifters to draw upon in the US, with the result that it is likely to take some time before the technology is adapted on a large-scale level locally. Nonetheless, issues regarding transparency on the use of the technology can be brought up by a defendant with their Miami criminal attorney, should they become pertinent to a particular case. A recent survey involving 2000 people would seem to suggest that the technology is, on the surface, undemocratic, since 75% of the respondents believed it to be intrusive. As of yet however, controls of such technology are lacking.
Casinos and banks in the US have been using biometric face recognition technology and video surveillance in various forms for the past decade. Unfortunately, companies are under no obligation to provide video evidence to members of the public. A theft crime attorney in Miami may however request that such video footage be presented to the court where criminal prosecution is contested.
We handle a variety of criminal law cases, so call us now if you have any questions, (305) 615-1285.
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