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Rob Ratcliff was the Content and Community Manager of IFSEC Global.com. He is a self-confessed everyman in the world of security and fire, keen to learn from the global community of experts who have been a part of IFSEC for 40 years now.
Facial recognition and video surveillance are becoming increasingly common, but how could facial recognition technology evolve, especially in light of technology such as Google Glass? Could Glass offer security guards an easy way to identify troublemakers or those that had been barred, for instance?
At present, Google has specifically banned apps from Glass that would use facial recognition, but with the possibility there, we want to discuss how disruptive this technology could be.
We’ll be chatting live with Simon Gordon, the founder of Facewatch, a UK service that allows businesses to report low-level crime directly to the police online. The process includes sending surveillance images of an incident. The police then distribute images of persons of interest to the public via the Facewatch app, allowing members of the public to identify the images easily and anonymously.
Could such technology be combined with wearable displays to help licensed door people identify suspects discreetly?
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Join Us Monday for a Live Chat on Guarding & Google GlassFacial recognition and video surveillance are becoming increasingly common, but how could facial recognition technology evolve, especially in light of […]
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safeNsane
November 26, 2013 7:57 am
I suspect that Google is banning the facial recognition apps because they want to keep themselves out of the headlines for enabling privacy invading apps but this was one of the first things I thought of when I heard about Google Glass. Imagine you have a handful of employees in key building locations who can supplement security personnel or cameras. Put glasses on your receptionist and you’ll get much better images of visitor’s faces. Put them on a couple of the guys in your loading docs and you get a closer look at what is going onto trucks.
Perhaps forgetting the idea of using Glass to add cameras in, even just being able to add an interactive heads up display for a security guard would be very beneficial. A message straight to their eye saying ‘intruder on floor 2, here’s their picture. Be aware’
That would be nice but how about for public places like malls. A team of security guards wearing Glass would be handy once someone gets an facial recognition app built that can compare faces in the crowd to people who have been removed from the area previously. I see this being a solution to some of the problems caused by fixed camera systems, hopefully this is something that can be worked out in the near future so we can see this technology grow.
Yep, sounds great. Though I do feel Google are right to ban facial recongition apps initially. I could see the public being initally sceptical about that, but maybe in time.
I think the balancing point is who is doing the facial recognition and why. If it was a mall security team keeping track of people who previously caused issues and have been barred from a piece of property then I think it’s easier to accept than being tracked in public locations.
I do not know but how I see it with new changes in technology we get tracked one way or other… and no way around it… unless we cut the power grid off, turn off pc and move deep in the woods…
That reminds me of a truck commercial that was running around here for a few months. A group of guys driving through the woods and one keeps getting out to check his cell signal. The last shot is him with no bars on the phone and they decide that’s where they will camp. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to do that. Maybe one day the always on always connected society will learn to give itself a break.
I have some friends in Canada who plans to live off the land and away from the grid and grip of technology… but I do not know… myself I could not do it…
That really is the main issue that who is using what. Do they have the authority to do that or just doing it for fun. I think this thing should not made public so that every individual got it. It should be used by the real authorities who are doing stuff for the betterment of individuals. As for the security staff i think it is a great idea. It will really help them a lot to minimize the entrance of already barred people into premises.
I do understand that it is not easy for the security staff to recognize every shoplifter or trouble maker who they already banned from the premises. Google glass is a great thing for the authorities to use not by every single individual. This thing Google have to make sure that only licensed security companies can have that so that they could get the most out of it. With the help of Google glass offenders will be identified easly. Otherwise there is a problem of identifying them and it does take time by other means like contacting in control room and… Read more »
@Shehrbano Kamran, a lot of people seem to feel that way but I can’t say I’m concerned about it. I live in a popular tourist area so I’m used to seeing cameras of all types when I’m out and about. I don’t worry that someone might catch me walking by on their vacation videos and for the most part I see that Google Glass is going to start life as a lightweight home video camera. I remember when those first came out and you had a few people who seemed to carry them everywhere and record everything but most… Read more »
safeNsane you are right. Now adays with too much technological advancement these things are getting very common. Most of the people have latest technological products. My main concern is the wrong use of any product in a wrong manner. If people do understand the Use and Abuse thing then there will be less problems.
The problem is that now a days we have to be careful as we dont know the one who is filming has what type of purpose behind it. As for tourists we do understand why they do it. If doing it for fun and for own good memories then it is fine. If some one doing it for stalking then it is an alrming situation. In certain areas filming and picture taking of young kids by strangers are not allowed beacuse of the fear of mishandeling. So we if there is no sign of Missuse then it is totally fine.
I do see the concern there but we’re talking about things that are few and far between. I don’t think that Google Glass is going to increase the frequency of stalking or taking inappropriate video since that’s a personal problem not a technology problem. My larger fear is distraction.
I suspect that Google is banning the facial recognition apps because they want to keep themselves out of the headlines for enabling privacy invading apps but this was one of the first things I thought of when I heard about Google Glass. Imagine you have a handful of employees in key building locations who can supplement security personnel or cameras. Put glasses on your receptionist and you’ll get much better images of visitor’s faces. Put them on a couple of the guys in your loading docs and you get a closer look at what is going onto trucks.
Perhaps forgetting the idea of using Glass to add cameras in, even just being able to add an interactive heads up display for a security guard would be very beneficial. A message straight to their eye saying ‘intruder on floor 2, here’s their picture. Be aware’
That would be nice but how about for public places like malls. A team of security guards wearing Glass would be handy once someone gets an facial recognition app built that can compare faces in the crowd to people who have been removed from the area previously. I see this being a solution to some of the problems caused by fixed camera systems, hopefully this is something that can be worked out in the near future so we can see this technology grow.
Yep, sounds great. Though I do feel Google are right to ban facial recongition apps initially. I could see the public being initally sceptical about that, but maybe in time.
I think the balancing point is who is doing the facial recognition and why. If it was a mall security team keeping track of people who previously caused issues and have been barred from a piece of property then I think it’s easier to accept than being tracked in public locations.
could not agree more… but for now public follow the hype with Google Glass… but with time thing do change…
I do not know but how I see it with new changes in technology we get tracked one way or other… and no way around it… unless we cut the power grid off, turn off pc and move deep in the woods…
That reminds me of a truck commercial that was running around here for a few months. A group of guys driving through the woods and one keeps getting out to check his cell signal. The last shot is him with no bars on the phone and they decide that’s where they will camp. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to do that. Maybe one day the always on always connected society will learn to give itself a break.
I have some friends in Canada who plans to live off the land and away from the grid and grip of technology… but I do not know… myself I could not do it…
That really is the main issue that who is using what. Do they have the authority to do that or just doing it for fun. I think this thing should not made public so that every individual got it. It should be used by the real authorities who are doing stuff for the betterment of individuals. As for the security staff i think it is a great idea. It will really help them a lot to minimize the entrance of already barred people into premises.
I do understand that it is not easy for the security staff to recognize every shoplifter or trouble maker who they already banned from the premises. Google glass is a great thing for the authorities to use not by every single individual. This thing Google have to make sure that only licensed security companies can have that so that they could get the most out of it. With the help of Google glass offenders will be identified easly. Otherwise there is a problem of identifying them and it does take time by other means like contacting in control room and… Read more »
@Shehrbano Kamran, a lot of people seem to feel that way but I can’t say I’m concerned about it. I live in a popular tourist area so I’m used to seeing cameras of all types when I’m out and about. I don’t worry that someone might catch me walking by on their vacation videos and for the most part I see that Google Glass is going to start life as a lightweight home video camera. I remember when those first came out and you had a few people who seemed to carry them everywhere and record everything but most… Read more »
safeNsane you are right. Now adays with too much technological advancement these things are getting very common. Most of the people have latest technological products. My main concern is the wrong use of any product in a wrong manner. If people do understand the Use and Abuse thing then there will be less problems.
The problem is that now a days we have to be careful as we dont know the one who is filming has what type of purpose behind it. As for tourists we do understand why they do it. If doing it for fun and for own good memories then it is fine. If some one doing it for stalking then it is an alrming situation. In certain areas filming and picture taking of young kids by strangers are not allowed beacuse of the fear of mishandeling. So we if there is no sign of Missuse then it is totally fine.
I do see the concern there but we’re talking about things that are few and far between. I don’t think that Google Glass is going to increase the frequency of stalking or taking inappropriate video since that’s a personal problem not a technology problem. My larger fear is distraction.