Homeland Security wants to expand airport facial scans to U.S. citizens
Fancy having your face scanned every time you leave and enter the country? The Department of Homeland Security already performs facial scans of noncitizens entering the U.S., but in a bid to improve security, it’s now proposing extending the procedure to citizens as well.
The Apple Car moves forward with a patent that could eliminate blind spots
Apple may be closer into getting involved in the automotive market with a new patent that is meant to eliminate a car’s blind spots. The patent's technology essentially projects images of the surrounding environment within the car’s blind spots onto the vehicle’s window or windshield.
Facebook wants you to take a selfie in order to verify your identity
Facebook is reportedly working on facial-recognition software that would verify the identities of users trying to access the app. Jane Manchun Wong tweeted out a prototype of Facebook’s facial-recognition identity login, which asks users to take a selfie by looking in different directions.
Artificial intelligence can now identify a bird just by looking at a photo
A new A.I. tool can identify up to 200 different species of birds just by looking at one photo. The technology comes from a team from Duke University that used over 11,000 photos of 200 bird species to teach a machine to differentiate them. The goal is to use the tech to classify areas in medical images
ACLU sues government organizations over facial-recognition software
The ACLU is taking action against facial-recognition software by suing the DOJ, the DEA, and the FBI. The ACLU recently filed a complaint against the three federal organizations over their failure to release requested records and policies on facial-recognition software use.
This invisible photo filter protects you from facial recognition software
A startup founded by former members of the Israeli Defense Forces has created smart technology that replaces faces in video or still images with near-identical looking photorealistic portraits which can't be identified by facial recognition systems. Here's why that's so important.
Google contractors were reportedly told to target the homeless for facial scans
Google is set to release the Pixel 4 in the near future, and it will feature facial recognition tech in the form of Project Soli. According to recent reports, however, Google has been training that tech to work using some questionable methods -- including specifically targeting homeless people.
The Portal TV can track every move, but Facebook swears stalking isn’t the goal
Against the backdrop of a newly renovated historic San Francisco Victorian home, Facebook is showing off its latest consumer technologies powered by A.I. The company unveiled its new Portal TV and refreshed Portal smart home devices, which promise to track but not stalk you, with privacy being a big theme.
A.I. researchers create a facial-recognition system for chimps
Facial recognition technology is pretty great ... for humans. Researchers from the U.K.’s University of Oxford and Japan's Kyoto University are opening that up with a new facial recognition system designed for chimpanzees. Here's why it could actually turn out to be useful.
Facebook will spend $10 million and offer a cash prize to detect deepfakes
Facebook will offer a cash prize to the person or group that can build a next-generation way to detect deepfakes -- and it's even creating its own original deepfakes for participants to work with as part of the new Deepfake Detection Challenge. The deepfakes will feature paid actors, so no user data will part of the program.
Facebook will stop using facial recognition by default on your photos
Facebook announced on Tuesday that it will stop using facial recognition by default when it suggests who you should tag in photos. The move comes after the social media company was issued a $5 billion fine by the Federal Trade Commission, partially over how it deployed facial recognition technology.
Terrifying new Chinese app Zao lets anyone make a deepfake
Deepfakes have finally gone mainstream with the Chinese app Zao, which spiked on the iOS App Store over the weekend. The app uses facial recognition to replace celebrities’ faces with yours, but it's raising concerns about how your face is being used and who has access to deepfake technology.
Bernie Sanders calls for a ban on police use of facial recognition
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders is calling for a complete ban on the use of facial recognition by law enforcement. While other candidates have also expressed concerns about facial recognition software and how it’s been used, Sanders is the first to specifically call for a ban.
Amazon’s facial recognition updates can detect fear, among other emotions
Amazon’s facial recognition software can detect emotion on people’s faces, including fear. The company announced improvements in gender identification and emotion detection, including: Happy, sad, angry, surprised, disgusted, calm, confused, and fear.
Facebook could pay another multibillion-dollar fine over facial recognition
Facebook could have to pay yet another multi-billion dollar fine after losing an appeals court decision on Thursday regarding the company’s use of facial recognition data. The company could appeal the decision and take it all the way to the Supreme Court.
FaceApp will do an about-face on its problematic terms of service
After receiving significant backlash for its questionable privacy terms, FaceApp’s creator is now saying the company will change its problematic terms of service. FaceApp's CEO told Forbes that there would be more transparency with the implementation of an updated privacy policy.
The Pixel 4 may have face-sensing tech that goes beyond the iPhone XS
It doesn't take long for a smartphone to age, and though the Pixel 3 is barely out, the Pixel 4 is on the way. It may be packing some new tech for Google too, and leaked screen protectors are implying Google's next flagship will have face-sensing tech that's beyond even Apple's iPhone XS.
Amazing smart glass can recognize numbers, no added tech required
What if it was possible to carry out facial recognition using just an ordinary piece of glass, with no added sensors or other tech? It sounds crazy, but that’s exactly what researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have been working to bring to life. Here's how it works.
Digital rights group Fight for the Future wants to ban facial recognition
Fight for the Future, a digital rights group, announced a campaign on Tuesday calling for a complete ban on government use of facial recognition surveillance software. The campaign, BanFacialRecognition.com, asks visitors to the site to contact their lawmakers about the issue.
U.S. border agency says photos of travelers stolen in cyberattack
A subcontractor working for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection was breached by a cyberattack last month. The contractor had traveler photos and license plate images on its network, which was then subjected to a "malicious cyber attack," according to CBP.
First, it was San Francisco. Now, the U.K. is fighting facial recognition
The U.K.'s first legal battle over police use of facial recognition technology has kicked off. The case involves a citizen who is taking action against South Wales Police, alleging that live facial-recognition technology was used against him in a breach of his own personal privacy.
Digital Trends Live: San Francisco bans facial recognition, Amazon’s air hub
On the latest episode of Digital Trends Live, we discuss the top tech stories of the day, including the OnePlus 7 Pro, San Francisco’s ban on facial recognition technology, Amazon’s new air cargo hub, how to silence your Uber driver, traffic bot, Jeff Bezos’s vision of space colonies, and more.
San Francisco won the battle, but the war on facial-recognition has just begun
San Francisco has become the first city in America to ban facial recognition. Well, kind of. While the ruling only covers certain applications of facial recognition technology, it's nonetheless a very important decision to have been made. Here is why it matters so much.
How facial recognition is changing life as we know it – for better or worse
From the police to advertising startups, everyone is investing in state-of-the-art facial recognition technology. Why is this field growing so rapidly, and what does it mean for ordinary citizens? Digital Trends took a deep dive into some of the latest potential applications.
Japanese taxis will use facial recognition to target you with ads as you ride
Japanese startup Premium Taxi Vision is trying to reinvent in-taxi advertising for 2019, by using facial recognition technology to identify the key characteristics of riders and then presenting them with appropriate ads. Smart concept or privacy headache? You make the call!
How emotion-tracking A.I. will change computing as we know it
Affectiva is just one of the startups working to create emotion-tracking artificial intelligence that can work out how you're feeling. From gaming to cars to healthcare, here are some of the ways that emotion-tracking tech promises to revolutionize computing as we know it.
San Francisco could be the first city in the U.S. to ban facial recognition
This week, a San Francisco lawmaker introduced new legislation which could see one of America's major tech cities become the first in the United States to officially ban the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement. Here's why some people want it banned.
Face-scanning A.I. can help doctors spot unusual genetic disorders
Facial recognition can unlock your phone. Could it also be used to identify whether or not a person has a rare genetic disorder, based exclusively on their facial features? DeepGestalt, an A.I. built by the Boston-based tech company FDNA, suggests the answer is a resounding "yes."
Connected car system will recognize your face and monitor your driving
Today's drivers expect user-friendly instrument clusters and infotainment systems for navigation and passenger entertainment, but many systems are siloed and unattractive. An in-vehicle experience showcased by Harman at CES 2019 aims to change that by connecting car systems to the rest of our lives.
Elecpro Group introduces US:E smart lock with 3D facial recognition at CES 2019
Elecpro Group's US:E smart lock uses multiple unlock modes. Introduced at CES 2019 following a Kickstarter launch in December, the US:E smart lock will be available in two versions, each with six ways to lock and unlock. One version features 3D face recognition, the other version recognizes fingerprints.
Tuya Smart brings smart home security with facial recognition to CES 2019
Tuya Smart, the Chinese startup that recently raised about $200 million to build out its smart home, smart business and smart city strategy, is focusing on smart home security at CES 2019 as it unveils a new smart home platform that features a home security hub that uses A.I. and facial recognition.
Volvo could install a camera that watches you while you drive, but not soon
Volvo will add an in-car camera to its list of extra-cost options before the end of 2019. The driver-facing unit monitors vital stats like glucose levels to reduce accidents caused by health problems, and it opens the door to facial recognition technology. The firm isn't worried about privacy issues.
Apple aims to make Face ID even better for 2019 iPhones
Apple is working on improvements to the Face ID system that will be integrated in next year's iPhones, according to famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The upgraded sensor, which will incorporate a new and more powerful flood illuminator, will be included in all 2019 iPhone models.
Never remember a face? A new AR facial-recognition app could jog your memory
Better known as face blindness, prosopagnosia is a neurological condition in which sufferers struggle to recognize people they have met -- even when they might have known them for decades. Could augmented reality technology help? An app created by a Harvard neuroscientist aims to do so.