Picture this: You’re finally about to see your favorite band in concert. But you’re running late—and the lines at the stadium are superlong. Fortunately, there is a special lane just for ticketholders who preregistered a selfie. A monitor scans your face and checks it against the photo on file. Within seconds, you’re in!
For many people, that ease is the whole point of facial recognition. The process uses sophisticated software to measure and remember a person’s face (see "Finding Your Faceprint," below). Today a growing number of public spaces are using facial recognition technology, including arenas, airports, Major League Baseball stadiums, and theme parks.
Yet some people are concerned about facial recognition’s increasing role. In many cases, companies store a lot of personal data along with the picture of each face. That could include information about your family, your Facebook profile, even your bank account. The data could be given or sold to other companies or stolen by criminals.
Are the risks that go along with facial recognition worth the convenience? Read arguments on both sides, then decide for yourself.