i3 - May/June 2019 - 29

henever federal policy makers begin
scrutinizing a fastevolving technology,
especially when they
threaten legislation,
it sets the stage for a faceoff between regulation of the unknown versus innovation
into uncharted opportunity.

Technology's (NIST) evaluated 127 software algorithms from 39 developers and
identified the massive jump in the ability to
find a matching photograph and mate its
biometric algorithms. NIST's test found
that "just 0.2 percent of searches failed this
year, compared with a four percent failure
rate in 2014 and five percent in 2010."
A bipartisan group of senators established the Senate Artificial Intelligence
(AI) Caucus to examine facial recognition
as part of its effort to complement the
"American AI Initiative" launched by the
White House early this year.
This flurry of activity came on the heels
of a landmark agreement among Amazon,
Microsoft and Google to support FRT regulations. While skeptics questioned
whether their endorsement is an effort to
head off congressional restrictions, the
industry approval of a coordinated tech
policy underscores the growing impact of
facial recognition and biometric data.

That duel is taking shape in the realm of
biometric technology, exemplified by facial
recognition technology (FRT), which has
encountered a slew of congressional initiatives and agency proposals, such as a
Federal Trade Commission's plan to
require multi-factor authentication such
as FRT or fingerprints in certain digital
financial transactions.
For a technology that is being deployed
for security, access and authentication in
the retail, financial services, education,
communications, hotel/casinos, marketing and military
sectors, FRT - even more than
A bipartisan group of senators established the
its biometric cousins - has
Senate Artificial Intelligence (AI) Caucus to
become a heated topic. Even its
entertainment and community
examine facial recognition as part of its effort
implementations such as social
to complement the "American AI Initiative"
media tagging have led to retallaunched by the White House early this year.
iation by some critics.
Research also indicates
that many consumers favor
Amazon's support of rules emerged soon
FRT's frictionless security processes over
after the company faced criticism for its
passwords or other complicated digital
"Rekognition" FRT technology that is
access tools. A Veridium survey in
used in applications ranging from miliFebruary concluded that 70 percent of
tary to marketing.
consumers would like to see expanded
Michael Punke, vice president, Global
use of biometric authentication. The
Public Policy at Amazon Web Services,
respondents cited speed, security and not
explained his company's stance on its blog.
having to remember passwords, espe"Over the past several months, we've
cially on multiple devices, as the primary
talked to customers, researchers, academics,
reasons for their enthusiasm.
policymakers and others to understand how
All this comes as the government's techto best balance the benefits of facial recognology experts confirm there has been a
nition with the potential risks," Punke said.
20-fold improvement in facial recognition
"It's critical that any legislation protect
software quality between 2014 and 2018.
civil rights while also allowing for
The National Institute of Standards and

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