UN Urges ‘Moratorium’ On Facial Recognition Tech Use In Protests
In this file photo, The United Nations flag is seen during the Climate Action Summit 2019 at the United Nations General Assembly Hall on September 23, 2019, in New York City. Ludovic MARIN / AFP.The UN human rights chief called Thursday for a “moratorium” on the use of facial recognition technology during peaceful protests, stressing that it could increase discrimination against people of African descent and other minorities.
The report was requested by the United Nations Human Rights Council two years ago, but it comes as demonstrations have erupted in a number of countries. The UN report pointed out that technology-enabled surveillance had been a major factor in shrinking civic space in a range of countries, with some states using intrusive online surveillance and the hacking of social media accounts used by protest organisers and demonstrators themselves.
But the technology has a dark side, with facial recognition integrated into China’s massive public surveillance system and its social credit experiment, where even minor infractions of public norms can result in sanctions. “Moreover, facial recognition technology may also perpetuate and amplify discrimination, including against Afro-descendants and other minorities,” the rights office warned.
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