Facial recognition systems are having a big impact on the quality of security systems, even in people’s homes. As facial recognition becomes more popular, many people are growing excited about it. However, there may be a downside to having facial recognition systems in your home. There is the potential for problems that you should not have to deal with, especially in the privacy of your own home. Here is what you should know about facial recognition in home security.
Security Concerns
One of the biggest problems with facial recognition in home security is account security. Many of the smart-device home security systems have already had issues with account security. Hackers were able to access user accounts because of vulnerabilities in each system based on their internal security was developed. The result was the loss of a lot of user data and general tampering from hackers. Experts worry that this could be an even bigger problem with facial recognition since hackers could take that information and cause more problems than before.
Privacy Rights
Another issue with facial recognition is who the systems record. Putting up a doorbell camera with facial recognition in Chicago would mean that anyone walking on the street that day could be scanned and stored in the system’s memory. This may be a violation of people’s privacy rights since they were recorded without consent. Furthermore, they would have no control over or knowledge of these incidents, making it virtually impossible for anyone to stop it.
In some ways, this could be a good thing. It could, potentially, help police find and catch criminals that they are having difficulty tracking down. However, the possible rights violations would make this a non-issue as well since none of what they find could be useable in court. It is difficult making a distinction between what is right for the community and what is right under the law, and this is a debate that may continue for a long time.
Cloud Access
Perhaps the most dangerous issue with facial recognition systems is how face data is stored and verified. For these systems to work, the camera must have access to a database of faces so that it can compare what it is seeing to different faces that it already knows. This can be done using a local database that is stored on the machine or in a storage device nearby that is physically wired to the machine. The other option is to connect it to cloud services.
While cloud services make data sharing and communication better in most cases, this case creates problems with data sharing. Specifically, sharing face data with cloud systems means that it will go out onto the internet where it cannot be retrieved or deleted entirely. Anything that is sent to the internet is effectively there forever, and this could violate security rights for a lot of people.
Find an Alternative with Help
The possible implications for facial recognition software can be intense, but the improvements to technology in the security industry are a good thing for everyone. Those technology improvements are not just limited to facial recognition systems. There are many new devices and enhancements that you can use in a home security system. At Video and Sound Service, Inc. we can help you find a high tech alternative to facial recognition systems. Call us at (708) 562-6316 to discuss your home security needs.