To the Point
Do You Really Own Your Own Face?
Privacy advocates are warning about the loss of public anonymity from face-recognition technology that's ubiquitous thanks to Facebook and other software companies. We hear about the risks… as well as the benefits.
By Warren Olney • • 51m ListenThe features that make up your face are unique to you, just like your fingerprints. Think of it as your “faceprint.” Face Recognition Technology reads photos or videos to identify you by name, location and any other personal information that turns up in a database. That has real value for a range of commercial uses—not to mention law enforcement.
But public anonymity may become a thing of the past. Facebook and other software companies have made the technology a fact of life, but there’s no consensus on how to protect your privacy.
Also, Greece's Prime Minister changes his mind on how to handle the country's economic crisis, and the Confederate Flag no longer flies over South Carolina's Capitol grounds.
Photo: Sheila Scarborough
In this episode
3 storiesGreek PM Tsipras' About-Face on Economic Reforms
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras persuaded Greeks to defy demands from their country’s creditors. But now, he’s trying to sell Parliament on concessions that look very much like the ones voters turned down in a nationwide referendum. Yannis Palaiologos reports for the newspaper Kathimerini .
Read the story7 minFacial Recognition and Loss of Anonymity
Facebook and Google aren’t the only companies using Face Recognition technology. It’s a tool of law enforcement, commercial enterprises—and even churches. The lack of ground rules is raising concerns about privacy… and the right to control your personal data.
Read the story34 minThe Confederate Flag Fades Out of the American Landscape
The Confederate flag was removed today from the memorial on South Carolina’s state capitol grounds--less than a month since 9 black Americans were murdered in a Church in Charleston. Have race relations reached a tipping point?
Read the story10 min