Case Study: Do You Know Who is Using Your Face?
1. Explain the key technologies used in facial recognition systems.
With today's technology, people can be identified with the use of pictures or videos using facial
recognition systems. These systems use technologies to identify people through pictures using
their facial features. Biometrics are used in these systems to map people's facial features. The
systems also use algorithms to focus on specific features of an individual's face, an example
would be the distance between the person's facial features, which is converted into data that is
further used to identify individuals using pictures. These pictures can be obtained from the
person's social media, security cameras, traffic cameras, and more.
2. What are the benefits of using facial recognition systems? How do they help organizations
improve operations and decision making? What problems can they help solve?
There are many benefits to using facial recognition systems. They can be used by the police to
aid in catching criminals. In fact, police already do use it to identify wanted criminals through
traffic cameras, security cameras, comparing mugshots, etc. These systems can make things
safer, for example, facial recognition systems can ensure that only the appropriate individual
has access to sensitive information intended just for them, like face ID on our phones. Nonprofit
organizations are using facial recognition systems to help catch human traffickers as well. Facial
recognition systems help organizations such as these nonprofits, and other organizations solve
crimes such as shoplifting, identity theft, human trafficking, murder, and much more. Law
enforcers have gained a much needed advantage with this technology.
3. Identify and describe the disadvantages of using facial recognition systems and facial
databases.
While facial recognition systems have many benefits, like anything else, they have
disadvantages as well. Facial recognition systems are not 100% accurate, the accuracy
depends on the lighting, angles, and image quality of the captured images. They are also bad at
identifying ethnic minority groups, women, and young people, which must be some kind of bias
within the systems. The FBI states that its facial recognition system is accurate only 85% of the
time, which leaves a 15% window for error.1 The accuracy of facial recognition systems
decrease with the higher number of people within their database because many people have
similar features. It is also possible for facial recognition systems to be put to the wrong use.
“Researchers captured over 10,000 images using a camera located in San Francisco’s
Brainwash Cafe. It is unclear whether the patrons knew their images were being captured and
used for research.”2 This is a clear violation of the privacy of the customers at the cafe.
1
C. Laudon & Jane P. Laudon, (2022). Do You Know Who is Using Your Face?. Management Information Systems
17th Edition. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
2
C. Laudon & Jane P. Laudon, (2022). Do You Know Who is Using Your Face?. Management Information Systems
17th Edition. Retrieved November 23, 2021.