At least half of Americans are reportedly in a facial recognition database, potentially accessible by the local police department as well as federal government agencies like ICE or the FBI. It's not something you likely opted into, but as of now, there's no way to be sure exactly who has access to your likeness.
But in light of recent protests for racial justice, facial recognition has come under scrutiny for the way in which it's deployed by police departments. In response, IBM, Amazon and Microsoft have all stated that they'll either stop developing this tech, or stop selling it to law enforcement until regulations are in place.
These promises may not make a big difference though, as a number of powerful but lesser-known companies like Clearview AI and Rank One are leaning into the market. They say this tech helps catch dangerous criminals and makes communities safer.
Activists and researchers across the political spectrum nonetheless have serious concerns about privacy, algorithmic bias, and a lack of regulation. Watch the video to learn more.