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Researchers recently learned that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement used facial recognition on millions of driver’s licence photographs without the licence-holders’ knowledge, the latest revelation about governments employing the technology in ways that threaten civil liberties. But the surveillance potential of facial recognition — its ability to create a “perpetual lineup” — isn’t the only cause for concern. The technological frontiers being explored by questionable researchers and unscrupulous start-ups recall the discredited pseudosciences of physiognomy and phrenology, which purport to use facial structure and head shape to assess character and mental capacity. Artificial intelligence and modern computing are giving new life and a veneer of objectivity to these debunked theories, which were once used to legitimise slavery and perpetuate Nazi race “science”. Those who wish to spread essentialist theories of racial hierarchy are paying attention. In one blog, for ex...

Business Standard : Taking its digital payments platform to the next level, One97 Communications Limited, which owns the Paytm brand, is experimenting with facial recognition technology to unlock the payments application. This is expected to enhance the security of accounts, said source in the company privy to this development. To begin with, the Vijay Shekhar Sharma-owned company is testing the face login feature on its Android beta app, the person said. This will be an important security update for Paytm users that is designed to prevent phishing attacks by providing an additional security layer of biometric security, said a security expert. According to sources, the company has tested this feature with over 10,000 faces and witnessed nearly 100 per cent accuracy. To achieve this, the app maps over 200 distinct parameters on the human face for high accuracy. The feature is likely to be rolled out soon. ALSO READ: Paytm's losses rise by almost 80% on the back of ma...