DeepScore markets facial and voice analysis app for trustworthiness scoring despite experts' doubts
DeepScore, a Tokyo-based company, is marketing an app that uses facial and voice recognition to score people's trustworthiness for lenders and insurers in Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. The company says the app can detect deception with 70 per cent accuracy, but researchers and privacy advocates say there is no reliable scientific basis for such judgments and warn of discrimination and privacy harms. The chief executive said the system is only one part of lenders' and insurers' decision-making and that people can choose not to use it. Critics respond that an unequal balance of power makes consent difficult.
- Company involved
- DeepScore
- AI system involved
- DeepScore
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Huawei and Megvii tested Uyghur alarm facial recognition system
Huawei and Megvii conducted an interoperability test in 2018 that verified a 'Uyghur alarm' function in Megvii's facial recognition system, according to a confidential report found by IPVM. The system could identify Uyghur minorities and alert police. Huawei denied real-world application and deleted the report after IPVM inquired. Megvii denied targeting ethnic groups. The test report was publicly accessible on Huawei's European website.
- Company involved
- Huawei
- AI system involved
- Megvii Dynamic Face Recognition
10 source articles · read the reporting →
AI emotion-detection software tested on Uyghurs in Xinjiang
A software engineer alleged that AI-based emotion-detection cameras were installed in police stations in Xinjiang and tested on Uyghur detainees. The system, placed three metres from subjects, analysed facial expressions and skin pores to create a pie chart indicating emotional state, with red suggesting anxiety, which was used as an indication of guilt. The engineer claimed the software was intended for 'pre-judgement without any credible evidence'. Human Rights Watch described the material as shocking, and the Chinese embassy denied the existence of such technology.
- Company involved
- Chinese government
- AI system involved
- Emotion detection camera
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Serbia's Ministry of Interior deploys thousands of Huawei facial recognition cameras in Belgrade
In early 2019, Serbia's Ministry of Interior announced the deployment of a thousand smart surveillance cameras with facial and license plate recognition capabilities, supplied by Huawei, across Belgrade. The Ministry refused to release information about the project, citing confidentiality, and failed to conduct a legally required Data Protection Impact Assessment. Citizens responded by crowdsourcing camera locations via the hashtag #hiljadekamera and a website. The system remains in operation with no public debate or transparency.
- Company involved
- Ministry of Interior
- AI system involved
- Huawei smart surveillance cameras
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Australian police trial facial recognition for COVID quarantine compliance
Australian police in New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia are trialling facial recognition software from Genvis to monitor people in home quarantine. Individuals are required to take selfies when randomly checked, and the software verifies their location and identity. Privacy advocates and the UN have raised concerns about surveillance overreach and potential human rights violations. The trials are voluntary, but critics warn of inaccuracies and mission creep.
- Company involved
- New South Wales Police Force, Victoria Police, Western Australia Police
- AI system involved
- Genvis facial recognition software
10 source articles · read the reporting →
JR East scraps facial recognition plan for past offenders
JR East, a Japanese train operator, installed facial recognition cameras at stations to identify past offenders, named criminal suspects, and suspicious persons. After criticism over a lack of societal consent, the company announced on 21 September 2021 that it had unregistered past offenders from the system. The company stated it would reinstate the system once clearer guidelines are established. No actual harm was reported.
- Company involved
- JR East
7 source articles · read the reporting →
FTC settles with IntelliVision over deceptive facial recognition claims
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took action against IntelliVision Technologies Corp. for making false, misleading, or unsubstantiated claims about its AI-powered facial recognition software. The company allegedly claimed its software had one of the highest accuracy rates on the market and was free of gender or racial bias, without supporting evidence. The FTC also alleged that IntelliVision did not train its software on millions of faces as claimed, but on images of approximately 100,000 individuals. Under a proposed consent order, IntelliVision is prohibited from making such misrepresentations without competent and reliable testing.
- Company involved
- IntelliVision Technologies Corp.
- AI system involved
- IntelliVision facial recognition software
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Met Police buys £3m retrospective facial recognition system
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has awarded a £3 million, four-year contract to Northgate Public Services for a new retrospective facial-recognition (RFR) system to be deployed within three months. RFR processes biometric information from historic CCTV, social media, and other images to identify suspects and missing persons, operating retroactively unlike live facial recognition. The procurement was approved by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime in August 2021. The MPS states that human-in-the-loop decision-making will be used, but digital rights groups and a former biometrics commissioner have raised concerns about potential discrimination, overrepresentation of marginalised groups in watch lists, and lack of a legislative framework.
- Company involved
- Metropolitan Police Service
- AI system involved
- Retrospective facial-recognition software
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Face recognition bypass used to register shell companies for tax fraud in Shanghai
In a major tax fraud case in Shanghai, criminals used face recognition cracking techniques to register shell companies on government platforms. They purchased high-resolution photos and used apps to create fake videos, then used modified phones to bypass face recognition authentication. The scheme resulted in fraudulent invoices totaling over 500 million yuan. The case was prosecuted by the Shanghai procuratorate.
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Deep-Live-Cam enables real-time face swapping, raising fraud concerns
A software package called Deep-Live-Cam has gone viral for enabling real-time face swapping on webcams using a single photo. The tool, which is free and open source, allows anyone to impersonate another person's appearance in a video chat, raising concerns about remote deception and fraud. The article notes that similar technology has been used in a $25 million heist in Hong Kong and in audio deepfake scams.
- AI system involved
- Deep-Live-Cam
7 source articles · read the reporting →
New Jersey court rules police must disclose facial recognition algorithms used to identify defendant
Francisco Arteaga was charged with armed robbery after a facial recognition search by the New York Police Department identified him as a possible match. The New Jersey police used this match to obtain witness identifications. Arteaga requested information about the facial recognition software, including its source code and error rate, but the trial court denied his request. The New Jersey appellate court ruled that the prosecution must disclose the algorithms, citing due process and the Brady rule.
- Company involved
- New Jersey Police
7 source articles · read the reporting →
360 Kid's Smartwatch gives racist response about Chinese people
A parent in Henan Province, China, asked a 360 Kid's Smartwatch whether Chinese are the smartest people in the world. The watch replied with racist insults and questioned China's Four Great Inventions. The company's founder acknowledged the issue, stating the answer was pulled from public internet content, and said the harmful information was removed and the software is being upgraded to an AI version.
- Company involved
- 360 company
- AI system involved
- 360 Kid's Smartwatch
4 source articles · read the reporting →
St. Louis police arrest man after facial recognition match without corroboration
Christopher Gatlin was arrested and jailed for an assault on a security guard after police used facial recognition software to identify him from a blurry surveillance image. The lead detective built a case against Gatlin despite the city's policy that AI results are nonscientific and should not be the sole basis for a decision. A witness was steered by officers to select Gatlin from a photo lineup, and the case was later dismissed after more than two years. Gatlin alleges wrongful arrest and has filed a lawsuit.
- Company involved
- St. Louis County Police Department
- AI system involved
- Unnamed facial recognition program
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Dahua facial recognition technology can sort by race and alert police when detecting Uighurs
Dahua Technologies, a Chinese surveillance camera company, developed facial recognition software that can classify individuals by race and send real-time warnings to police when it identifies Uighur people. Documents and code revealed the capability, though it is unclear if it has been deployed. Human rights advocates and Uighur individuals have expressed concern about potential surveillance and discrimination. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
- Company involved
- Dahua Technologies
- AI system involved
- Dahua facial recognition software
10 source articles · read the reporting →
N-Tech.lab's FindFace used to identify St Petersburg metro passengers without consent
Egor Tsvetkov photographed passengers on the St Petersburg metro without their permission and used N-Tech.lab's facial recognition service FindFace to match their faces to public Vkontakte profiles. He published the results in an art project called 'Your Face is Big Data', saying he wanted to show how 'digital narcissism' can lead to stalking. Privacy advocates said the project was ethically problematic because the subjects had not consented and their identities were exposed. FindFace had been launched by N-Tech.lab in February 2016.
- Company involved
- N-Tech.lab
- AI system involved
- FindFace
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Facial recognition system falsely detains woman in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro
A facial recognition system deployed by the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro in Copacabana falsely identified a local resident as a wanted fugitive. The system flagged the woman with a 70% probability match, leading police to detain her for over an hour before realising the error. The police spokesperson acknowledged the system's statistical error rate and stated that officers attempt to verify identities on site. The incident is one of several false positives reported with the system.
- Company involved
- Polícia Militar do Rio de Janeiro
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Hive Box Facial-Recognition Lockers Hacked by Children Using Photos
Fourth-grade students in Jiaxing, China, demonstrated that Hive Box's facial-recognition smart lockers could be opened with a printed photo. The company, which operates a large network of delivery lockers, acknowledged the flaw and suspended the beta feature. The incident raised concerns about the security of facial recognition technology.
- Company involved
- Hive Box
1 source article · read the reporting →
Ugandan police accused of using Huawei facial recognition to arrest protesters
The Ugandan police are accused of using a facial recognition system supplied by Huawei to track, arrest and torture anti-government protesters. The police confirmed they used images from the surveillance system to identify and detain more than 836 people involved in protests on November 18-19, 2020. Over 50 people were killed during the demonstrations. Critics say the system is unregulated and invades privacy.
- Company involved
- Ugandan Police
10 source articles · read the reporting →
NYPD uses facial recognition to identify crime suspects since 2011
The New York City Police Department has used facial recognition technology since 2011 to compare images from criminal investigations with lawfully possessed arrest photos. The system generates possible matches that are then reviewed by human investigators before being used as leads. The NYPD states that no one has been arrested solely based on a facial recognition search and that it knows of no false arrests from such matches, though studies have found accuracy variations for certain demographic groups.
- Company involved
- New York City Police Department
- AI system involved
- Facial recognition
8 source articles · read the reporting →
French police secretly used Briefcam facial recognition since 2015
The French National Police has been using Briefcam's Video Synopsis software since 2015, according to internal documents obtained by Disclose. The software, which includes facial recognition capabilities, was deployed without the required data protection impact assessment or notification to the CNIL. The Ministry of the Interior concealed the use of this tool for eight years. The police hierarchy allegedly used the software for facial recognition without judicial requisition, and the DGPN did not respond to requests for comment.
- Company involved
- French National Police
- AI system involved
- Briefcam Video Synopsis
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Delhi Police use facial recognition to screen PM Modi rally attendees
Delhi Police used an Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS) to screen crowds at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally on December 22, 2019. The system, originally installed to find missing children, was used to identify possible disruptions. Privacy advocates called the move illegal and unconstitutional, saying it amounts to mass surveillance. Police defended the use, citing credible intelligence about possible disruptions.
- Company involved
- Delhi Police
- AI system involved
- Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS)
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Developer iperov releases DeepFaceLive real-time face-swap AI on GitHub
The developer iperov has published DeepFaceLive, a neural network for real-time face swapping, on GitHub. The tool automatically replaces a user's face in live streams and video calls with a nonexistent model or a celebrity, and the installation instructions are simple. The developer claims 95% of deepfakes on YouTube were made with the related DeepFaceLab. No specific harm is reported, but the article highlights the tool's potential for misuse.
- Company involved
- iperov
- AI system involved
- DeepFaceLive
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Vumacam's AI CCTV system flagged 28 black people as suspicious in Johannesburg suburbs
In Johannesburg suburbs, Vumacam's AI-powered CCTV network using iSentry software flagged 28 black individuals as 'suspicious' in a shift report, according to a 2019 article. The system, deployed by private security firms, uses video analytics to detect abnormal behavior and alerts security guards. The article alleges that the system disproportionately targets people of color, reflecting racial bias in a racially divided country.
- Company involved
- Vumacam
- AI system involved
- iSentry
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Tencent launches Zero-Point Cruise facial recognition to enforce night-time game curfew
Tencent has introduced a feature called Zero-Point Cruise in its games, which subjects accounts registered as adults that play at night beyond a set time to facial recognition. Anyone who refuses or fails the verification is treated as a minor and logged out. Tencent says this is intended to stop children using adult identities to evade the game curfew, and that adults who mistakenly refuse can wait for the next authentication.
- Company involved
- Tencent
- AI system involved
- 零点巡航 (Zero-Point Cruise)
10 source articles · read the reporting →
