Google Goggles is a free application for the Android mobile operating system that is currently on a wide variety of phones. What Google Goggles does is take a picture from the phone camera and then you can run an entire web search just based on the picture. Some people were concerned about privacy issues because this type of technology is so good that a picture could be taken of someone’s face and then a web search done on them. Google has decided to make pictures of faces blurred on purpose to help protect privacy. (What happens to the stored original?)
There are a number of implications behind this technology that have to be reviewed very carefully and for this reason Google’s decision should be applauded. Some of the implications have to do with security and potential abuses of people’s identities. Little by little we seem to be sliding away from what used to be our private and personal liberties – security, justified as “the greater good” is one excuse. Another is business and capitalism, in the guise of personal databases – buying and selling them. The major problem apart from having and potentially using your personal information without your knowledge, is that it can and probably will be used for other purposes than what you authorized. Also think of what can happen when errors creep into this information (and it does).
The thought occurs about criminals and those with warrants in terms of law enforcement. If there is technology than can identify a person based on a picture of their face alone, would this be something law enforcement would want to use? And what about very similar looking people – potential misguided actions could harm innocent people. On the other hand the ease of identifying where wanted criminals are, would be much easier using facial recognition. Imagine an army of people all “armed” with cell phones and a speed dial to America’s Most Wanted TV show. This army of armed with cell phone people could turn into something quite scary.
Some would argue that using such a technology could help catch dangerous criminals because anytime they were to show up on a camera in any location police could be informed of their presence. It may be close to the time where if you want to safe guard your privacy you will have to be very careful with all your information including Internet lists, any type of on line registration, Social Webs – you would literally need to reduce the amount of information you make available to the public. A healthy dose of paranoia will probably part of our on line activities in the future.
It does make one wonder though that if Google has the technology to recognize faces whether law enforcement already has this type of technology in place or not in certain areas of the country.
Philip Robinson has various on line projects including health related themes. You can visit his website at Sciatica Back Pain with a section on Sciatica Nerve Pain. He is happily married and a father of five As someone with a large family he focuses on fun, creativity, education, health issues and making ends meet in a loving environment.