Editing Facial recognition system (section)

== Application ==
=== Social media ===
Founded in 2013, [[Looksery]] went on to raise money for its face modification app on Kickstarter. After successful crowdfunding, [[Looksery]] launched in October 2014. The application allows video chat with others through a special filter for faces that modifies the look of users. [[Augmented reality|Image augmenting]] applications already on the market, such as [[Facetune]] and Perfect365, were limited to static images, whereas Looksery allowed augmented reality to live videos. In late 2015 [[Snap Inc.|SnapChat]] purchased Looksery, which would then become its landmark lenses function.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.sg/snapchat-buys-looksery-2015-9/|title=Snapchat buys Looksery, a 2-year-old startup that lets you Photoshop your face while you video chat|last=Shontell|first=Alyson|date=September 15, 2015|work=Business Insider Singapore|access-date=April 9, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> Snapchat filter applications use face detection technology and on the basis of the facial features identified in an image a 3D mesh mask is layered over the face.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Emerging Technology in Modelling and Graphics: Proceedings of IEM Graph 2018|last1=Kumar Mandal|first1=Jyotsna | last2 =  Bhattacharya|first2= Debika| publisher=Springer|year=2019|isbn=9789811374036|pages=672}}</ref> A variety of technologies attempt to fool facial recognition software by the use of [[anti-facial recognition mask]]s.<ref name="Bryson">{{cite news |last1=Bryson |first1=Kevin |title=Evaluating Anti-Facial Recognition Tools  |url=https://physicalsciences.uchicago.edu/news/article/evaluating-anti-facial-recognition-tools/ |access-date=27 January 2024 |work=physicalsciences.uchicago.edu |date=20 May 2023}}</ref>

[[DeepFace]] is a [[deep learning]] facial recognition system created by a research group at [[Facebook, Inc.|Facebook]]. It identifies human faces in digital images. It employs a nine-layer [[neural net]] with over 120 million connection weights, and was [[Machine learning|trained]] on four million images uploaded by Facebook users.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/s/525586/facebook-creates-software-that-matches-faces-almost-as-well-as-you-do/|title=Facebook Creates Software That Matches Faces Almost as Well as You Do|last=Simonite|first=Tom|work=MIT Technology Review|access-date=April 9, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebooks-deepface-shows-serious-facial-recognition-skills/|title=Facebook's DeepFace shows serious facial recognition skills|access-date=April 9, 2018|language=en}}</ref> The system is said to be 97% accurate, compared to 85% for the FBI's [[Next Generation Identification]] system.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/7/7/5878069/why-facebook-is-beating-the-fbi-at-facial-recognition|title=Why Facebook is beating the FBI at facial recognition|work=The Verge|access-date=April 9, 2018}}</ref>

[[TikTok]]'s algorithm has been regarded as especially effective, but many were left to wonder at the exact programming that caused the app to be so effective in guessing the user's desired content.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=How TikTok's 'For You' Algorithm Actually Works|language=en-us|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-finally-explains-for-you-algorithm-works|access-date=April 17, 2021|issn=1059-1028}}</ref> In June 2020, TikTok released a statement regarding the "For You" page, and how they recommended videos to users, which did not include facial recognition.<ref>{{cite news |title=How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou |url=https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/how-tiktok-recommends-videos-for-you |access-date=April 22, 2021 |publisher=TikTok |date=June 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618171925/https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/how-tiktok-recommends-videos-for-you |archive-date=June 18, 2020}}</ref> In February 2021, however, TikTok agreed to a $92&nbsp;million settlement to a US lawsuit which alleged that the app had used facial recognition in both user videos and its algorithm to identify age, gender and ethnicity.<ref>{{cite news |title=TikTok agrees legal payout over facial recognition |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56210052 |access-date=April 22, 2021 |work=BBC News |date=February 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226160803/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56210052 |archive-date=February 26, 2021}}</ref>

=== ID verification ===
The emerging use of facial recognition is in the use of [[ID verification service]]s. Many companies and others are working in the market now to provide these services to banks, ICOs, and other e-businesses.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/07/24/bank-branch-future/796748002/|title=A glimpse at bank branches of the future: video walls, booth-sized locations and 24/7 access|work=USA Today|access-date=August 13, 2018|language=en}}</ref> Face recognition has been leveraged as a form of biometric [[authentication]] for various computing platforms and devices;<ref name="Bonsor2" /> [[Android Ice Cream Sandwich|Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich"]] added facial recognition using a [[smartphone]]'s front camera as a means of [[Lock screen|unlocking]] devices,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/06/dont-rely-on-face-unlock-to-keep-your-phone-secure/|title=Don't rely on Face Unlock to keep your phone&nbsp;secure|last=Heater|first=Brian|work=TechCrunch|access-date=November 2, 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/03/video-shows-galaxy-s8-face-recognition-can-be-defeated-with-a-picture/|title=Galaxy S8 face recognition already defeated with a simple picture|work=Ars Technica|access-date=November 2, 2017|language=en-us}}</ref> while [[Microsoft]] introduced face recognition login to its [[Xbox 360]] video game console through its [[Kinect]] accessory,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2010/11/how-facial-recognition-works-in-xbox-kinect/|title=How Facial Recognition Works in Xbox Kinect|magazine=Wired|access-date=November 2, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> as well as [[Windows 10]] via its "Windows Hello" platform (which requires an infrared-illuminated camera).<ref name="ars-hello2">{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/03/windows-10-says-hello-to-logging-in-with-your-face-and-the-end-of-passwords/|title=Windows 10 says "Hello" to logging in with your face and the end of passwords|website=Ars Technica|access-date=March 17, 2015|date=March 17, 2015}}</ref> In 2017, Apple's [[iPhone X]] smartphone introduced facial recognition to the product line with its "[[Face ID]]" platform, which uses an infrared illumination system.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-iphone-x-production-woe-sparked-by-juliet-and-her-romeo-1506510189?mod=e2twd|title=Apple iPhone X Production Woe Sparked by Juliet and Her Romeo|last=Kubota|first=Yoko|date=September 27, 2017|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=September 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928103032/https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-iphone-x-production-woe-sparked-by-juliet-and-her-romeo-1506510189?mod=e2twd|archive-date=September 28, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Face ID ====
[[Apple Inc.|Apple]] introduced [[Face ID]] on the flagship iPhone X as a biometric authentication successor to the [[Touch ID]], a [[fingerprint]] based system. Face ID has a facial recognition sensor that consists of two parts: a "Romeo" module that projects more than 30,000 infrared dots onto the user's face, and a "Juliet" module that reads the pattern.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-iphone-x-production-woe-sparked-by-juliet-and-her-romeo-1506510189|title=Apple iPhone X Production Woe Sparked by Juliet and Her Romeo|last=Kubota|first=Yoko|date=September 27, 2017|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=April 10, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> The pattern is sent to a local "Secure Enclave" in the device's [[central processing unit]] (CPU) to confirm a match with the phone owner's face.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/12/16298156/apple-iphone-x-face-id-security-privacy-police-unlock|title=The five biggest questions about Apple's new facial recognition system|work=The Verge|access-date=April 10, 2018}}</ref>

The facial pattern is not accessible by Apple. The system will not work with eyes closed, in an effort to prevent unauthorized access.<ref name=":2" /> The technology learns from changes in a user's appearance, and therefore works with hats, scarves, glasses, and many sunglasses, beard and makeup.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/14/face-id-works-with-sunglasses-thwarts-thieves/|title=Apple's Face ID Feature Works With Most Sunglasses, Can Be Quickly Disabled to Thwart Thieves|access-date=April 10, 2018|language=en}}</ref> It also works in the dark. This is done by using a "Flood Illuminator", which is a dedicated [[infrared]] flash that throws out invisible infrared light onto the user's face to get a 2d picture in addition to the 30,000 facial points.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bgr.com/2017/11/03/iphone-x-face-id-video-infrared/|title=Infrared video shows off the iPhone X's new Face ID feature in action|last=Heisler|first=Yoni|date=November 3, 2017|work=BGR|access-date=April 10, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Healthcare ===
Facial recognition algorithms can [[computer-aided diagnosis|help in diagnosing]] some diseases using specific features on the nose, cheeks and other part of the [[Face|human face]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Okeke |first=Nnamdi |date=2022-10-13 |title=Facial Recognition: How it works, Applications, Business ideas & More |url=https://targettrend.com/facial-recognition/ |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=TargetTrend |language=en-US}}</ref> Relying on developed data sets, machine learning has been used to identify genetic abnormalities just based on facial dimensions.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Libby |first1=Christopher |last2=Ehrenfeld |first2=Jesse |date=2021 |title=Facial Recognition Technology in 2021: Masks, Bias, and the Future of Healthcare |journal=Journal of Medical Systems |volume=45 |issue=4 |pages=39 |doi=10.1007/s10916-021-01723-w |issn=0148-5598 |pmc=7891114 |pmid=33604732}}</ref> FRT has also been used to verify patients before surgery procedures.

In March, 2022 according to a publication by Forbes, FDNA, an AI development company claimed that in the space of 10 years, they have worked with geneticists to develop a database of about 5,000 diseases and 1500 of them can be detected with facial recognition algorithms.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kesari |first=Ganes |title=How AI Is Using Facial Detection To Spot Rare Diseases In Children |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ganeskesari/2022/03/29/how-ai-is-using-facial-detection-to-spot-rare-diseases-in-children/ |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>

=== Deployment of FRT for availing government services  ===

==== India ====
In an interview, the National Health Authority chief Dr. R.S. Sharma said that facial recognition technology would be used in conjunction with [[Aadhaar]] to authenticate the identity of people seeking vaccines.<ref>{{cite web |title=Modi govt now plans a 'touchless' vaccination process, with Aadhaar-based facial recognition |url=https://theprint.in/health/modi-govt-now-plans-a-touchless-vaccination-process-with-aadhaar-based-facial-recognition/634719/ |website=ThePrint |date=April 6, 2021 |access-date=12 February 2022}}</ref> Ten human rights and digital rights organizations and more than 150 individuals signed a statement by the [[Internet Freedom Foundation]] that raised alarm against the deployment of facial recognition technology in the central government's vaccination drive process.<ref>{{cite web |title=Despite Privacy Fears, Aadhaar-Linked Facial Recognition Used For Covid-19 Vaccines |url=https://inc42.com/buzz/despite-privacy-fears-facial-recognition-used-for-covid-19-vaccines/ |website=Inc42 |date=April 7, 2021 |access-date=12 February 2022}}</ref> Implementation of an error-prone system without adequate legislation containing mandatory safeguards, would deprive citizens of essential services and linking this untested technology to the vaccination roll-out in India will only exclude persons from the vaccine delivery system.<ref>{{cite web |title=Joint Statement: Say no to Aadhaar based Facial Recognition for Vaccination! |url=https://internetfreedom.in/sign-on-and-support-close-to-10-organisations-and-158-individuals-who-are-warning-against-aadhaar-based-facial-recognition-for-vaccination/ |website=Internet Freedom Foundation |date=April 14, 2021 |access-date=12 February 2022}}</ref>

In July, 2021, a press release by the Government of Meghalaya stated that facial recognition technology (FRT) would be used to verify the identity of pensioners to issue a Digital Life Certificate using "Pensioner's Life Certification Verification" mobile application.<ref>{{cite web |title=Panoptic Tracker, Finance (Pension Cell) Department, Government of Meghalaya |url=https://panoptic.in/meghalaya/FRT-000068 |website=Panoptic Project |access-date=12 February 2022}}</ref> The notice, according to the press release, purports to offer pensioners "a secure, easy and hassle-free interface for verifying their liveness to the Pension Disbursing Authorities from the comfort of their homes using smart phones". Mr. Jade Jeremiah Lyngdoh, a law student, sent a legal notice to the relevant authorities highlighting that "The application has been rolled out without any anchoring legislation which governs the processing of personal data and thus, lacks lawfulness and the Government is not empowered to process data."<ref>{{cite web |title=Meghalaya clarifies on controversial app: 'Facial Recognition Technology doesn't require any anchoring legislation' |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/meghalaya/meghalaya-pensioner-app-facial-recognition-7629818/ |website=Indian Express |date=November 18, 2021 |access-date=12 February 2022}}</ref>

=== Deployment in security services ===
[[File:Surveillance_equipment_5413.jpg|thumb|Swiss European [[surveillance]]: face recognition and vehicle make, model, color and [[License plate recognition|license plate reader]]]]

==== Commonwealth ====
The [[Australian Border Force]] and [[New Zealand Customs Service]] have set up an automated border processing system called [[SmartGate]] that uses face recognition, which compares the face of the traveller with the data in the [[Biometric passport|e-passport]] microchip.<ref>{{cite web |title=Smartgates Face editing for the mins of the can we have|url=https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/smartgates/arrivals |publisher=[[Australian Border Force]] |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Our history |url=https://www.customs.govt.nz/about-us/about-customs/our-history/ |publisher=[[New Zealand Customs Service]] |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref> All Canadian international airports use facial recognition as part of the Primary Inspection Kiosk program that compares a traveler face to their photo stored on the [[ePassport]]. This program first came to [[Vancouver International Airport]] in early 2017 and was rolled up to all remaining international airports in 2018–2019.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/cbsa-canada-airports-facial-recognition-kiosk-biometrics-1.4007344|title=Facial recognition technology is coming to Canadian airports this spring|publisher=CBC News|access-date=March 3, 2017|language=en}}</ref>

Police forces in the United Kingdom have been trialing live facial recognition technology at public events since 2015.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Face-Off-final-digital-1.pdf|title=Face Off: The lawless growth of facial recognition in UK policing|website=Big Brother Watch}}</ref> In May 2017, a man was arrested using an automatic facial recognition (AFR) system mounted on a van operated by the South Wales Police. [[Ars Technica]] reported that "this appears to be the first time [AFR] has led to an arrest".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/06/police-automatic-face-recognition/|title=UK police arrest man via automatic face-recognition tech|first=Sebastian|last=Anthony|date=June 6, 2017|website=Ars Technica}}</ref> However, a 2018 report by [[Big Brother Watch]] found that these systems were up to 98% inaccurate.<ref name=":0" /> The report also revealed that two UK police forces, [[South Wales Police]] and the [[Metropolitan Police]], were using live facial recognition at public events and in public spaces.<ref name="Rees">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-49565287|title=Police use of facial recognition ruled lawful|last=Rees|first=Jenny|date=September 4, 2019|access-date=November 8, 2019|language=en-GB}}</ref> 
In September 2019, South Wales Police use of facial recognition was ruled lawful.<ref name="Rees"/> Live facial recognition has been trialled since 2016 in the streets of London and will be used on a regular basis from [[Metropolitan Police]] from beginning of 2020.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/london-met-police-facial-recognition|title=The Met Police will start using live facial recognition across London|last=Burgess|first=Matt|date=January 24, 2020|magazine=Wired UK|access-date=January 24, 2020|issn=1357-0978}}</ref> In August 2020 the [[Court of Appeal (England and Wales)|Court of Appeal]] ruled that the way the facial recognition system had been used by the South Wales Police in 2017 and 2018 violated human rights.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techxplore.com/news/2020-08-uk-court-recognition-violates-human.html |author= Danica Kirka |title= UK court says face recognition violates human rights| date = August 11, 2020|access-date=October 4, 2020 |website= TechPlore}}</ref>

However, by 2024 the Metropolitan Police were using the technique with a database of 16,000 suspects, leading to over 360 arrests, including rapists and someone wanted for [[grievous bodily harm]] for 8 years. They claim a [[False positives and false negatives|false positive]] rate of only 1 in 6,000. The photos of those not identified by the system are deleted immediately.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sylvester |first1=Rachel |title='No human could do this': how facial recognition is transforming policing. |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/86256fe3-a218-4c00-97c3-f1021a8f8c11 |access-date=5 October 2024 |work=[[The Times]] |date=5 October 2024}}</ref>

==== United States ====
[[File:Facial recognition technology at gate (44275734970).jpg|thumb|Flight boarding gate with "biometric face scanners" developed by [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]] at [[Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport]] ]]
The [[U.S. Department of State]] operates one of the largest face recognition systems in the world with a database of 117 million American adults, with photos typically drawn from driver's license photos.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2016/10/18/facial-recognition-database/|title=Here's How Many Adult Faces Are Scanned From Facial Recognition Databases|date=2016-10-18|website=Fortune}}</ref> Although it is still far from completion, it is being put to use in certain cities to give clues as to who was in the photo. The FBI uses the photos as an investigative tool, not for positive identification.<ref name="phys.org2">{{Cite web|url=https://phys.org/news/2016-12-facial-recognition-technology-real-world.html|title=The trouble with facial recognition technology (in the real world)|first1=Robin|last1=Kramer|first2=Kay|last2=Ritchie|date=2016-12-14|website=phys.org}}</ref> {{As of|2016|post=,}} facial recognition was being used to identify people in photos taken by police in [[San Diego]] and Los Angeles (not on real-time video, and only against booking photos)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/05/10/609422158/real-time-facial-recognition-is-available-but-will-u-s-police-buy-it|title=Real-Time Facial Recognition Is Available, But Will U.S. Police Buy It?|date=2018-05-10|website=NPR.org |publisher=NPR}}</ref> and use was planned in [[West Virginia]] and [[Dallas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/10/23/499042369/police-facial-recognition-databases-log-about-half-of-americans|title=Police Facial Recognition Databases Log About Half Of Americans|date=2016-10-23|website=NPR.org |publisher=NPR}}</ref>

In recent years Maryland has used face recognition by comparing people's faces to their driver's license photos. The system drew controversy when it was used in Baltimore to arrest unruly protesters after the [[death of Freddie Gray]] in police custody.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-facial-recognition-20161017-story.html|title=Maryland's use of facial recognition software questioned by researchers, civil liberties advocates|last1=Rector|first1=Kevin|last2=Knezevich|first2=Alison|date=2016-10-17|work=The Baltimore Sun}}</ref> Many other states are using or developing a similar system however some states have laws prohibiting its use.

The [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] has also instituted its [[Next Generation Identification]] program to include face recognition, as well as more traditional biometrics like [[fingerprint]]s and [[Iris recognition|iris scans]], which can pull from both criminal and civil databases.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/fingerprints_biometrics/ngi|title=Next Generation Identification|website=FBI|access-date=April 5, 2016}}</ref> The federal [[Government Accountability Office]] criticized the FBI for not addressing various concerns related to privacy and accuracy.<ref name="ICE" />

Starting in 2018, [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]] deployed "biometric face scanners" at U.S. airports. Passengers taking outbound international flights can complete the check-in, security and the boarding process after getting facial images captured and verified by matching their ID photos stored on CBP's database. Images captured for travelers with U.S. citizenship will be deleted within up to 12-hours. The [[Transportation Security Administration]] (TSA) had expressed its intention to adopt a similar program for domestic air travel during the security check process in the future. The [[American Civil Liberties Union]] is one of the organizations against the program, concerning that the program will be used for surveillance purposes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Facial recognition at airports: Everything you need to know|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2019/08/16/biometric-airport-screening-facial-recognition-everything-you-need-know/1998749001/|work=USA Today|date=August 16, 2019}}</ref>

In 2019, researchers reported that [[Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] (ICE) uses facial recognition software against state driver's license databases, including for some states that provide licenses to undocumented immigrants.<ref name="ICE">{{Cite news |date=2019-07-08 |title=ICE Uses Facial Recognition To Sift State Driver's License Records, Researchers Say |language=en |work=NPR.org |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/07/08/739491857/ice-uses-facial-recognition-to-sift-state-drivers-license-records-researchers-sa |access-date=2022-12-09}}</ref>

In December 2022, 16 major domestic airports in the US started testing facial-recognition tech where kiosks with cameras are checking the photos on travelers' IDs to make sure that passengers are not impostors.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-12-02 |title=TSA is adding face recognition at big airports. Here's how to opt out. |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/12/02/tsa-security-face-recognition/ |access-date=2022-12-09 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In 2025, it was revealed that the [[New Orleans Police Department]] had rolled out what the ACLU's Freed Wessler called "the first known widespread effort by police in a major US city to use AI to identify people in live camera feeds for the purpose of making immediate arrests." in defiance of a 2022 city ordinance limiting the use of the technology.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Belanger |first=Ashley |date=2025-05-19 |title=New Orleans called out for sketchiest use of facial recognition yet in the US |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/05/cops-pause-use-of-flawed-ai-cameras-secretly-monitoring-streets-for-suspects/ |access-date=2025-05-29 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}}</ref>

==== China ====
{{See also|Mass surveillance in China}}
In 2006, the "Skynet" (天網）)Project was initiated by the Chinese government to implement [[Closed-circuit television|CCTV]] surveillance nationwide and {{as of|lc=y|2018|post=,}} there have been 20 million cameras, many of which are capable of real-time facial recognition, deployed across the country for this project.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shen |first1=Xinmei |title="Skynet", China's massive video surveillance network |url=https://www.scmp.com/abacus/who-what/what/article/3028246/skynet-chinas-massive-video-surveillance-network |work=South China Morning Post |date=October 4, 2018 |access-date=December 13, 2020}}</ref> Some official claim that the current Skynet system can scan the entire Chinese population in one second and the world population in two seconds.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chan |first1=Tara Francis |title=16 parts of China are now using Skynet |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/china-facial-recognition-technology-works-in-one-second-2018-3 |work=Business Insider |date=March 27, 2018 |access-date=December 13, 2020}}</ref>
   
[[File:Entrance faregates at waiting room 10 of Beijing West Railway Station (20190908184801).jpg|thumb|Boarding gates with facial recognition technology at [[Beijing West railway station]] ]]
In 2017, the [[Qingdao]] police was able to identify twenty-five wanted suspects using facial recognition equipment at the Qingdao International Beer Festival, one of which had been on the run for 10 years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/01/facial-recognition-china-beer-festival|title=From ale to jail: facial recognition catches criminals at China beer festival|date=September 1, 2017|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=March 8, 2018}}</ref> The equipment works by recording a 15-second video clip and taking multiple snapshots of the subject. That data is compared and analyzed with images from the police department's database and within 20 minutes, the subject can be identified with a 98.1% accuracy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.opengovasia.com/articles/7975-police-use-facial-recognition-technology-to-capture-wanted-criminals-during-beer-festival-in-chinese-city-of-qingdao|title=Police use facial recognition technology to detect wanted criminals during beer festival in Chinese city of Qingdao|website=opengovasia.com| publisher=OpenGovAsia|language=en|access-date=March 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116082821/http://opengovasia.com/articles/7975-police-use-facial-recognition-technology-to-capture-wanted-criminals-during-beer-festival-in-chinese-city-of-qingdao|archive-date=November 16, 2017}}</ref>

In 2018, Chinese police in [[Zhengzhou]] and Beijing were using smart glasses to take photos which are compared against a government database using facial recognition to identify suspects, retrieve an address, and track people moving beyond their home areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/08/chinese-police-are-getting-smart-glasses/|title=Chinese police are using smart glasses to identify potential suspects|publisher=[[TechCrunch]]|date=February 8, 2018|access-date=December 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/china-police-using-smart-glasses-facial-recognition-2018-3|title=Beijing police are using facial-recognition glasses to identify car passengers and number plates|work=[[Business Insider]]|date=March 12, 2018|access-date=December 3, 2020}}</ref>

{{As of|pre=late|2017|post=,}} China has deployed facial recognition and [[artificial intelligence]] technology in [[Xinjiang]]. Reporters visiting the region found surveillance cameras installed every hundred meters or so in several cities, as well as facial recognition checkpoints at areas like gas stations, shopping centers, and mosque entrances.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/china-s-massive-investment-artificial-intelligence-has-insidious-downside|title=China's massive investment in artificial intelligence has an insidious downside|date=February 7, 2018|work=Science AAAS|access-date=February 23, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/world/wp/2018/01/07/feature/in-china-facial-recognition-is-sharp-end-of-a-drive-for-total-surveillance/|title=China bets on facial recognition in big drive for total surveillance|year=2018|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=February 23, 2018|language=en}}</ref> In May 2019, [[Human Rights Watch]] reported finding Face++ code in the [[Big data#China|Integrated Joint Operations Platform]] (IJOP), a police surveillance app used to collect data on, and track the [[Uyghur people|Uighur]] community in [[Xinjiang]].<ref name="AR">{{cite news |last=Liao |first=Rita |date=May 8, 2019 |title=Alibaba-backed facial recognition startup Megvii raises $750 million |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/08/megvii-750-million/ |work=[[TechCrunch]]|access-date= August 28, 2019}}</ref> Human Rights Watch released a correction to its report in June 2019 stating that the Chinese company [[Megvii]] did not appear to have collaborated on IJOP, and that the Face++ code in the app was inoperable.<ref name="AT">{{cite news |last=Dai |first=Sarah |date=June 5, 2019 |title=AI unicorn Megvii not behind app used for surveillance in Xinjiang, says human rights group |url=https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3013229/ai-unicorn-megvii-not-behind-app-used-surveillance-xinjiang-says |work=[[South China Morning Post]]|access-date= August 28, 2019}}</ref> In February 2020, following the [[Coronavirus outbreak]], Megvii applied for a bank loan to optimize the body temperature screening system it had launched to help identify people with symptoms of a [[Coronavirus]] infection in crowds. In the loan application Megvii stated that it needed to improve the accuracy of identifying masked individuals.<ref>{{cite news |author=Cheng Leng |author2=Yingzhi Yang |author3=Ryan Woo  |title=Exclusive: Hundreds of Chinese businesses seek billions in loans to contend with coronavirus | url=https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN204182?__twitter_impression=true| work=[[Reuters]]| date= February 20, 2020| access-date= October 5, 2020}}</ref>

Many public places in China are implemented with facial recognition equipment, including railway stations, airports, tourist attractions, expos, and office buildings. In October 2019, a professor at [[Zhejiang Sci-Tech University]] sued the [[Hangzhou Zoo|Hangzhou Safari Park]] for abusing private biometric information of customers. The safari park uses facial recognition technology to verify the identities of its Year Card holders. An estimated 300 tourist sites in China have installed facial recognition systems and use them to admit visitors. This case is reported to be the first on the use of facial recognition systems in China.<ref name="pb">{{cite news|title=A lawsuit against face-scans in China could have big consequences|url=https://www.economist.com/china/2019/11/09/a-lawsuit-against-face-scans-in-china-could-have-big-consequences|newspaper=The Economist|date=November 9, 2019}}</ref> In August 2020, [[Radio Free Asia]] reported that in 2019 Geng Guanjun, a citizen of [[Taiyuan City]] who had used the [[WeChat]] app by [[Tencent]] to forward a video to a friend in the United States was subsequently convicted on the charge of the crime "picking quarrels and provoking troubles". The Court documents showed that the Chinese police used a facial recognition system to identify Geng Guanjun as an "overseas democracy activist" and that China's network management and propaganda departments directly monitor WeChat users.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Xiaoshan |first1=Huang |last2=Wen |first2=Cheng |title= New evidence showing Tencent monitors overseas users |work=Radio Free Asia |date=August 14, 2020 |url=https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/wechat-08142020065757.html |access-date=August 15, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200816050851/https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/wechat-08142020065757.html | archive-date=August 16, 2020}}</ref>

In 2019, [[2019–20 Hong Kong protests|Protestors in Hong Kong]] destroyed smart lampposts amid concerns they could contain cameras and facial recognition system used for surveillance by Chinese authorities.<ref>{{cite news |author=Zak Doffman |title=Hong Kong Exposes Both Sides Of China's Relentless Facial Recognition Machine | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/08/26/hong-kong-exposes-both-sides-of-chinas-relentless-facial-recognition-machine/| work=[[Forbes]]| date= August 26, 2019| access-date= December 3, 2020}}</ref> Human rights groups have criticized the Chinese government for using artificial intelligence facial recognition technology in its suppression against Uyghurs,<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 October 2019 |title=Facial recognition forced on 800 million Chinese internet users |url=https://www.rfi.fr/en/20191015-800-million-chinese-internet-users-must-register-facial-recognition |access-date=April 21, 2024 |website=Radio France Internationale}}</ref> Christians<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dustin |first=Tim |date=2023-04-10 |title=AI aims to persecute Chinese Christians |url=https://globalchristianrelief.org/christian-persecution/stories/ai-aims-to-persecute-christians/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Global Christian Relief |language=en-US}}</ref> and Falun Gong practitioners.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pandemic, Persecution and Pushback - Surveillance State |url=https://www.falungongreport.org/surveillance-state |access-date=February 27, 2024 |website=Falun Gong Report}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 4, 2024 |title=Country policy and information note: Falun Gong, China, November 2023 (accessible) |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/china-country-policy-and-information-notes/country-policy-and-information-note-falun-gong-china-november-2023-accessible |access-date=April 21, 2024 |website=The United Kingdom Government}}</ref>

==== India ====
{{main|Automated Facial Recognition System (India)}}
Even though facial recognition technology (FRT) is not fully accurate,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lohr|first=Steve|date=2018-02-09|title=Facial Recognition Is Accurate, if You're a White Guy|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/09/technology/facial-recognition-race-artificial-intelligence.html|access-date=2022-02-14|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> it is being increasingly deployed for identification purposes by the police in India. FRT systems generate a probability match score, or a confidence score between the suspect who is to be identified and the database of identified criminals that is available with the police. The National Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS)<ref>{{Cite web|title=NCRB's National Automated Facial Recognition System|url=https://panoptic.in/|access-date=2022-02-14|website=panoptic.in|language=en}}</ref> is already being developed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a body constituted under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The project seeks to develop and deploy a national database of photographs which would comport with a facial recognition technology system by the central and state security agencies. The [[Internet Freedom Foundation]] has flagged concerns regarding the project.<ref name="internetfreedom.in">{{Cite web|date=2020-10-07|title=Watch the Watchmen Series Part 4: The National Automated Facial Recognition System|url=https://internetfreedom.in/watch-the-watchmen-series-part-4-the-national-automated-facial-recognition-system/|access-date=2022-02-14|website=Internet Freedom Foundation}}</ref> The NGO has highlighted that the accuracy of FRT systems are "routinely exaggerated and the real numbers leave much to be desired.<ref name="internetfreedom.in"/> The implementation of such faulty FRT systems would lead to high rates of false positives and false negatives in this recognition process." 

Under the Supreme Court of India's decision in ''Justice K.S. Puttaswamy vs Union of India'' (22017 10 SCC 1), any justifiable intrusion by the State into people's right to privacy, which is protected as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution, must confirm to certain thresholds, namely: legality, necessity, proportionality and procedural safeguards.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Justice K.S.Puttaswamy(Retd) vs Union Of India on 26 September, 2018|url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/127517806/|website=Indian Kanoon}}</ref> As per the Internet Freedom Foundation, the National Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS) proposal fails to meet any of these thresholds, citing "absence of legality," "manifest arbitrariness," and "absence of safeguards and accountability."<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-07-18|title=We might be in the market for a new kind of face mask.|url=https://internetfreedom.in/maskon/|access-date=2022-02-14|website=Internet Freedom Foundation}}</ref>

While the national level AFRS project is still in the works, police departments in various states in India are already deploying facial recognition technology systems, such as: TSCOP + CCTNS in Telangana,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Barik|first=Soumyarendra|date=2019-10-22|title='Fingerprint is not a big issue': Hyderabad police on collecting biometrics of 'suspects'|url=https://www.medianama.com/2019/10/223-hyd-police-on-collecting-biometrics-of-suspects/|access-date=2022-02-14|website=MediaNama|language=en-US}}</ref> Punjab Artificial Intelligence System (PAIS) in Punjab,<ref name=":11" /> Trinetra in Uttar Pradesh,<ref>{{Cite web|title=UP Police launch 'Trinetra', its AI-powered face recognition app to catch criminals|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/technology/up-police-launch-trinetra-its-ai-powered-face-recognition-app-to-catch-criminals/1426618/|access-date=2022-02-14|website=The Financial Express|date=December 27, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> Police Artificial Intelligence System in Uttarakhand,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-08-27|title=Uttarakhand Police acquire face recognition software to help nab criminals|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/dehradun/uttarakhand-police-acquire-face-recognition-software-to-help-nab-criminals/story-hIO0dmwRfOcK9npC0IMjtM.html|access-date=2022-02-14|website=Hindustan Times|language=en |first=Kalyan |last=Das}}</ref> AFRS in Delhi, Automated Multimodal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS) in Maharashtra, FaceTagr in Tamil Nadu. The [[Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems]] (CCTNS), which is a Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP),<ref>{{Cite web|title=Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) |url=https://ncrb.gov.in/en/crime-and-criminal-tracking-network-systems-cctns|access-date=2022-02-18|website=National Crime Records Bureau |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218072145/https://ncrb.gov.in/en/crime-and-criminal-tracking-network-systems-cctns |archive-date=2022-02-18}}</ref> is viewed as a system which would connect police stations across India, and help them "talk"<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-11-20|title=CCTNS Project to let police stations 'talk': where it stands, and how it can help fight crime|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/cctns-project-to-let-police-stations-talk-where-it-stands-and-how-it-can-help-fight-crime/|access-date=2022-02-18|website=The Indian Express|language=en |first=Sagnik |last=Chowdhury}}</ref> to each other. The project's objective is to digitize all FIR-related information, including FIRs registered, as well as cases investigated, charge sheets filed, and suspects and wanted persons in all police stations. This shall constitute a national database of crime and criminals in India. CCTNS is being implemented without a data protection law in place. CCTNS is proposed to be integrated with the AFRS, a repository of all crime and criminal related facial data which can be deployed to purportedly identify or verify a person from a variety of inputs ranging from images to videos.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-07-08|title=Home Ministry moves to get automated facial recognition system for police|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/home-ministry-moves-to-get-automated-facial-recognition-system-for-police/story-AfPOydDwKwz0leTt3t4WvI.html|access-date=2022-02-18|website=Hindustan Times|language=en |author=Sudhi Ranjan Sen  }}</ref> This has raised privacy concerns from civil society organizations and privacy experts. Both the projects have been censured as instruments of "[[mass surveillance]]" at the hands of the state.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-15|title=IFF's Legal Notice to the NCRB on the Revised RFP for the National Automated Facial Recognition System|url=https://internetfreedom.in/iffs-legal-notice-to-the-ncrb-on-the-revised-rfp-for-the-national-automated-facial-recognition-system/|access-date=2022-02-18|website=Internet Freedom Foundation |first=Anushka |last=Jain}}</ref> In Rajasthan, 'RajCop,' a police app has been recently integrated with a facial recognition module which can match the face of a suspect against a database of known persons in real-time. Rajasthan police is in currently working to widen the ambit of this module by making it mandatory to upload photographs of all arrested persons in CCTNS database, which will "help develop a rich database of known offenders."<ref name=":13">{{Cite book|url=https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/Committee_site/Committee_File/ReportFile/15/161/237_2022_2_17.pdf|title=Parliament of India. Rajya Sabha. Two Hundred Thirty Seventh Report on Police - Training, Modernisation and Reforms.|publisher=Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, India|year=2022|pages=34 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806105202/https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/Committee_site/Committee_File/ReportFile/15/161/237_2022_2_17.pdf |archive-date=Aug 6, 2022}}</ref>

Helmets fixed with camera have been designed and being used by Rajasthan police in law and order situations to capture police action and activities of "the miscreants, which can later serve as evidence during the investigation of such cases."<ref name=":13" /> PAIS (Punjab Artificial Intelligence System), App employs deep learning, machine learning, and face recognition for the identification of criminals to assist police personnel.<ref name=":13" /> The state of Telangana has installed 8 lakh CCTV cameras,<ref name=":13" /> with its capital city Hyderabad slowly turning into a surveillance capital.<ref>{{Cite web|author=U. Sudhakar Reddy|date=Nov 10, 2021|title=8.3 lakh cameras in Telangana, Hyderabad turning into surveillance city: Amnesty |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/8-3l-cameras-in-t-hyd-turning-into-surveillance-city-amnesty/articleshow/87615657.cms|access-date=2022-02-18|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

A false positive happens when facial recognition technology misidentifies a person to be someone they are not, that is, it yields an incorrect positive result. They often results in discrimination and strengthening of existing biases. For example, in 2018, Delhi Police reported that its FRT system had an accuracy rate of 2%, which sank to 1% in 2019. The FRT system even failed to distinguish accurately between different sexes.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-11-27|title=Indian govt's approach to facial recognition is flawed & driven by faulty assumptions|url=https://theprint.in/opinion/indian-govt-approach-to-facial-recognition-flawed-driven-by-faulty-assumptions/327036/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref>

The government of Delhi in collaboration with [[Indian Space Research Organisation]] (ISRO) is developing a new technology called Crime Mapping Analytics and Predictive System (CMAPS). The project aims to deploy space technology for "controlling crime and maintaining law and order."<ref name=":13" /> The system will be connected to a database containing data of criminals.<ref name=":13" /> The technology is envisaged to be deployed to collect real-time data at the crime scene.<ref name=":13" />

In a reply dated November 25, 2020 to a Right to Information request filed by the Internet Freedom Foundation seeking information about the facial recognition system being used by the Delhi Police (with reference number DEPOL/R/E/20/07128),<ref>{{Cite web|title=Right to Information Updates from Delhi Police, Kolkata Police and Telangana State Technology Services|url=https://panoptic.in/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=panoptic.in|language=en}}</ref> the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police cum Public Information Officer: Crime stated that they cannot provide the information under section 8(d) of the Right to Information Act, 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Section 8(1)(d) in The Right To Information Act, 2005|url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1838023/|website=Indian Kanoon}}</ref>
A Right to Information (RTI) request dated July 30, 2020 was filed with the Office of the Commissioner, Kolkata Police, seeking information about the facial recognition technology that the department was using.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-12-01|title=Project Panoptic: RTI Updates from Delhi Police, Kolkata Police and Telangana State Technology Services|url=https://internetfreedom.in/project-panoptic-right-to-information-updates/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=Internet Freedom Foundation}}</ref> The information sought was denied<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chunduru|first=Aditya|date=2020-12-02|title=RTI: Kolkata, Delhi police refuse to give information on facial recognition systems|url=https://www.medianama.com/2020/12/223-rti-replies-delhi-kolkata-police-telangana-facial-recognition-iff/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=MediaNama|language=en-US}}</ref> stating that the department was exempted from disclosure under section 24(4) of the RTI Act.

==== Latin America ====
In the [[2000 Mexican presidential election]], the Mexican government employed face recognition software to prevent [[voter fraud]]. Some individuals had been registering to vote under several different names, in an attempt to place multiple votes. By comparing new face images to those already in the voter database, authorities were able to reduce duplicate registrations.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Mexican+Government+Adopts+FaceIt+Face+Recognition+Technology+to...-a062019954|title=Mexican Government Adopts FaceIt Face Recognition Technology to Eliminate Duplicate Voter Registrations in Upcoming Presidential Election|date=May 11, 2000|access-date=June 2, 2008|publisher=Business Wire|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305151832/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Mexican+Government+Adopts+FaceIt+Face+Recognition+Technology+to...-a062019954}}</ref>

In Colombia public transport busses are fitted with a facial recognition system by FaceFirst Inc to identify passengers that are sought by the [[National Police of Colombia]]. FaceFirst Inc also built the facial recognition system for [[Tocumen International Airport]] in Panama. The face recognition system is deployed to identify individuals among the travellers that are sought by the [[Panamanian National Police]] or [[Interpol]].<ref name="Cambridge University Press">{{Cite book|title=The Cambridge Handbook of Consumer Privacy|last1=Selinger|first1=Evan| last2= Polonetsky| first2= Jules | last3= Tene| first3=Omer|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2018|isbn=9781316859278|pages=112}}</ref> Tocumen International Airport operates an airport-wide surveillance system using hundreds of live face recognition cameras to identify wanted individuals passing through the airport. The face recognition system was initially installed as part of a US$11&nbsp;million contract and included a [[computer cluster]] of sixty computers, a [[fiber-optic cable]] network for the airport buildings, as well as the installation of 150 surveillance cameras in the [[airport terminal]] and at about 30 [[airport gate]]s.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ihsairport360.com/article/4812/panama-puts-names-to-more-faces|title=Panama puts names to more faces|last=Vogel|first=Ben|access-date=October 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012185226/http://www.ihsairport360.com/article/4812/panama-puts-names-to-more-faces|archive-date=October 12, 2014|url-status=live|publisher=IHS Jane's Airport Review}}</ref>

At the [[2014 FIFA World Cup]] in Brazil the [[Federal Police of Brazil]] used face recognition [[goggles]]. Face recognition systems "made in China" were also deployed at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] in Rio de Janeiro.<ref name="Cambridge University Press"/> [[Nuctech Company]] provided 145 inspection terminals for [[Maracanã Stadium]] and 55 terminals for the [[Deodoro Olympic Park]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.www.gov.cn/news/photos/2016/08/15/content_281475417902847.htm|title='Made-in-China' products shine at Rio Olympics |access-date=November 14, 2020|date=August 15, 2016|publisher=The State Council, The people's Republic of China}}</ref>

==== European Union ====
Police forces in at least 21 countries of the European Union use, or plan to use, facial recognition systems, either for administrative or criminal purposes.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://algorithmwatch.org/en/story/face-recognition-police-europe/|title=At least 11 police forces use face recognition in the EU, AlgorithmWatch reveals|author-last=Kayser-Bril|author-first=Nicolas|website=AlgorithmWatch|language=en|date=December 11, 2019}}</ref>

===== Greece =====
Greek police passed a contract with Intracom-Telecom for the provision of at least 1,000 devices equipped with live facial recognition system. The delivery is expected before the summer 2021. The total value of the contract is over 4 million euros, paid for in large part by the Internal Security Fund of the [[European Commission]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://algorithmwatch.org/en/story/greek-police-live-facial-recognition/|title=Flush with EU funds, Greek police to introduce live face recognition before the summer|author-last=Pedriti|author-first=Corina|website=AlgorithmWatch|language=en|date=January 28, 2021}}</ref>

===== Italy =====
Italian police acquired a face recognition system in 2017, Sistema Automatico Riconoscimento Immagini (SARI). In November 2020, the Interior ministry announced plans to use it in real-time to identify people suspected of seeking asylum.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://irpimedia.irpi.eu/viminale-garante-privacy-riconoscimento-facciale-in-tempo-reale/|title=Lo scontro Viminale-Garante della privacy sul riconoscimento facciale in tempo reale|author-last=Coluccini|author-first=Riccardo|website=IrpiMedia|language=en|date=January 13, 2021}}</ref>

===== The Netherlands =====
The [[Netherlands]] has deployed facial recognition and artificial intelligence technology since 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nos.nl/l/2148598|title=Politie gaat verdachten opsporen met gezichtsherkenning|last=Techredacteur|first=Joost Schellevis|website=nos.nl|date=December 16, 2016 |language=nl|access-date=September 22, 2019}}</ref> The database of the Dutch police currently contains over 2.2&nbsp;million pictures of 1.3&nbsp;million Dutch citizens. This accounts for about 8% of the population. In The Netherlands, face recognition is not used by the police on municipal CCTV.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.parool.nl/gs-b111d648|title=Meekijken met de 226 gemeentecamera's|last=Boon|first=Lex|date=August 25, 2018|website=Het Parool|language=nl-NL|access-date=September 22, 2019}}</ref>

==== South Africa ====
In South Africa, in 2016, the city of Johannesburg announced it was rolling out smart CCTV cameras complete with automatic number plate recognition and facial recognition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://theconversation.com/how-cctv-surveillance-poses-a-threat-to-privacy-in-south-africa-97418|title=How CCTV surveillance poses a threat to privacy in South Africa|first=Jane|last=Duncan|date=June 4, 2018|website=The Conversation}}</ref>

=== Deployment in retail stores ===
The US firm 3VR, now [[Identiv]], is an example of a [[vendor]] which began offering facial recognition systems and services to retailers as early as 2007.<ref name="3VR2007">{{cite interview|last=Ross|first=Tim|title=3VR Featured on Fox Business News|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV-MPQ0Zra0|work=Money for Breakfast|publisher=[[Fox Business]]|year=2007|quote=Interviewer: Now, can I buy something like this? Is this... do you really restrict the customers for this? Tim Ross: It's primarily being purchased by banks, retailers, and the government today and is sold through a variety of security channels.}}</ref> In 2012, the company advertised benefits such as "dwell and queue line analytics to decrease customer wait times", "facial surveillance analytic[s] to facilitate personalized customer [[Walmart greeter|greetings by employees]]" and the ability to "[c]reate loyalty programs by combining [[Point of sale]] (POS) data with facial recognition".<ref name="3VR2012">{{cite web|url=http://www.3vr.com/solutions/grow/improve-customer-service|title=Improve Customer Service|work=3VR |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120814071615/http://www.3vr.com/solutions/grow/improve-customer-service|archive-date=August 14, 2012|quote=3VR's Video Intelligence Platform (VIP) transforms customer service by allowing businesses to: • Optimize staffing decisions, increase sales conversion rates and decrease customer wait times by bringing extraordinary clarity to the analysis of traffic patterns • Align staffing decisions with actual customer activity, using dwell and queue line analytics to decrease customer wait times • Increase competitiveness by using 3VR's facial surveillance analytic to facilitate personalized customer greetings by employees • Create loyalty programs by combining point of sale (POS) data with facial recognition}}</ref>

==== United States ====
In 2018, the National [[Retail loss prevention|Retail Federation Loss Prevention]] Research Council called facial recognition technology "a promising new tool" worth evaluating.<ref name="Reuters20200728">{{cite news|last1=Dastin|first1=Jeffrey L. |date=July 28, 2020|title=Special Report: Rite Aid deployed facial recognition systems in hundreds of U.S. stores|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-riteaid-software-specialreport/special-report-rite-aid-deployed-facial-recognition-systems-in-hundreds-of-u-s-stores-idUSKCN24T1HL|url-status=live|department=U.S. Legal News|work=[[Reuters]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219022523/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-riteaid-software-specialreport/special-report-rite-aid-deployed-facial-recognition-systems-in-hundreds-of-u-s-stores-idUSKCN24T1HL|archive-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref>

In July 2020, the [[Reuters]] news agency reported that during the 2010s the [[Pharmacy (shop)|pharmacy]] chain [[Rite Aid]] had deployed facial recognition [[video surveillance]] systems and components from FaceFirst, DeepCam LLC, and other vendors at some retail locations in the United States.<ref name="Reuters20200728"/> Cathy Langley, Rite Aid's vice president of asset protection, used the phrase "feature matching" to refer to the systems and said that usage of the systems resulted in less violence and organized crime in the company's stores, while former vice president of asset protection Bob Oberosler emphasized improved safety for staff and a reduced need for the involvement of [[Law enforcement in the United States|law enforcement organizations]].<ref name="Reuters20200728"/> In a 2020 statement to Reuters in response to the reporting, Rite Aid said that it had ceased using the facial recognition software and switched off the cameras.<ref name="Reuters20200728"/>

According to director [[openlibrary:authors/OL765884A|Read Hayes]] of the National Retail Federation Loss Prevention Research Council, Rite Aid's surveillance program was either the largest or one of the largest programs in retail.<ref name="Reuters20200728"/> [[The Home Depot]], [[Menards]], [[Walmart]], and [[7-Eleven]] are among other US retailers also engaged in large-scale [[Pilot experiment|pilot programs]] or deployments of facial recognition technology.<ref name="Reuters20200728"/>

Of the Rite Aid stores examined by Reuters in 2020, those in communities where [[Person of color|people of color]] made up the largest racial or ethnic group were three times as likely to have the technology installed,<ref name="Reuters20200728"/> raising concerns related to the substantial history of [[Racial segregation in the United States|racial segregation]] and [[racial profiling in the United States]]. Rite Aid said that the selection of locations was "data-driven", based on the theft histories of individual stores, [[Crime statistics|local and national crime data]], and site infrastructure.<ref name="Reuters20200728"/>

==== Australia ====
In 2019, facial recognition to prevent theft was in use at Sydney's [[The Star, Sydney|Star Casino]] and was also deployed at gaming venues in New Zealand.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |last=Mayhew |first=Stephen |date=2019-03-17 |title=Casinos down under deploy facial recognition tech to spot offenders, problem gamblers {{!}} Biometric Update |url=https://www.biometricupdate.com/201903/casinos-down-under-deploy-facial-recognition-tech-to-spot-offenders-problem-gamblers |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=www.biometricupdate.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

In June 2022, consumer group [[Choice (Australian consumer organisation)|CHOICE]] reported facial recognition was in use in Australia at Kmart, Bunnings, and The Good Guys. The Good Guys subsequently suspended the technology pending a legal challenge by CHOICE to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, while Bunnings kept the technology in use and Kmart maintained its trial of the technology.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Scanlan |first=Rebekah |date=29 June 2022 |title=The Good Guys scrap 'creepy' camera feature after backlash |work=News.com.au |url=https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/the-good-guys-scrap-creepy-camera-feature-after-backlash/news-story/03e7f305c9b4c2c9b8543cf8c7d51c2c}}</ref>

=== Additional uses ===
[[File:Disney Facial Recognition 20 April 2021.jpg|thumb|right|Disney's [[Magic Kingdom]], near [[Orlando, Florida]], during a trial of a facial recognition technology for park entry]]
At the [[American football]] championship game [[Super Bowl XXXV]] in January 2001, police in [[Tampa Bay, Florida]] used [[Viisage Technology|Viisage]] face recognition software to search for potential criminals and terrorists in attendance at the event. 19 people with minor criminal records were potentially identified.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sptimes.com/News/021601/TampaBay/Face_scans_match_few_.shtml|title=Face scans match few suspects|last=Greene|first=Lisa|date=February 15, 2001|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|access-date=June 30, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141130123749/http://www.sptimes.com/News/021601/TampaBay/Face_scans_match_few_.shtml|archive-date=November 30, 2014|url-status=live|format=SHTML|quote=By using Viisage software, police matched 19 people's faces to photos of people arrested in the past for minor pickpocketing, fraud and other charges. They weren't charged with any game-day misdeeds.  THIS IS A FARCE}}</ref><ref name="Krause2">{{cite news|url=http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0102/0102facerecog.htm|title=Is face recognition just high-tech snake oil?|last=Krause|first=Mike|date=January 14, 2002|newspaper=Enter Stage Right|access-date=June 30, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020124050149/http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0102/0102facerecog.htm|archive-date=January 24, 2002|url-status=live|issn=1488-1756}}</ref>

Face recognition systems have also been used by photo management software to identify the subjects of photographs, enabling features such as searching images by person, as well as suggesting photos to be shared with a specific contact if their presence were detected in a photo.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/28/16055418/microsoft-windows-10-photos-app-ai-image-sorting|title=Windows 10's Photos app is getting smarter image search just like Google Photos|work=The Verge|access-date=November 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/17/google-photos-upgraded-with-new-sharing-features-photo-books-and-google-lens/|title=Google Photos upgraded with new sharing features, photo books, and Google&nbsp;Lens|last=Perez|first=Sarah|work=TechCrunch|access-date=November 2, 2017|language=en}}</ref> By 2008 facial recognition systems were typically used as access control in [[Burglar alarm|security systems]].<ref name="Animetrics2">{{cite web|url=http://www.animetrics.com/technology/frapplications.html|title=Face Recognition Applications|publisher=Animetrics|access-date=June 4, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080713020541/http://www.animetrics.com/Technology/FRapplications.html|archive-date=July 13, 2008}}</ref>

The United States' [[popular music]] and [[country music]] celebrity [[Taylor Swift]] surreptitiously employed facial recognition technology at a concert in 2018. The camera was embedded in a [[kiosk]] near a ticket booth and scanned concert-goers as they entered the facility for known [[stalkers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/taylor-swift-used-airport-style-facial-recognition-on-concertgoers|title=Taylor Swift used airport-style facial recognition on concertgoers|work=washingtonexaminer.com|first=Anna|last=Giaritelli|date=December 13, 2018|access-date=December 13, 2018}}</ref>

On August 18, 2019, ''[[The Times]]'' reported that the UAE-owned [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] hired a Texas-based firm, Blink Identity, to deploy facial recognition systems in a driver program. The club has planned a single super-fast lane for the supporters at the [[City of Manchester Stadium|Etihad stadium]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/manchester-city-tries-facial-recognition-to-beat-football-queues-smdrcrkrj?ni-statuscode=acsaz-307|title=Manchester City tries facial recognition to beat football queues|access-date=August 18, 2019|newspaper=[[The Times]]}}</ref> However, civil rights groups cautioned the club against the introduction of this technology, saying that it would risk "normalising a mass surveillance tool". The policy and campaigns officer at [[Liberty (advocacy group)|Liberty]], Hannah Couchman said that Man City's move is alarming, since the fans will be obliged to share deeply sensitive personal information with a private company, where they could be tracked and monitored in their everyday lives.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/18/manchester-city-face-calls-to-reconsider-facial-recognition-tech|title=Manchester City warned against using facial recognition on fans|access-date=August 18, 2019|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>

In 2019, casinos in Australia and New Zealand rolled out facial recognition to prevent theft, and a representative of Sydney's Star Casino said they would also provide 'customer service' like welcoming a patron back to a bar.<ref name=":16" />

In August 2020, amid the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]], American football stadiums of New York and Los Angeles announced the installation of facial recognition for upcoming matches. The purpose is to make the entry process as touchless as possible.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Olson|first=Parmy|date=August 1, 2020|title=Facial Recognition's Next Big Play: the Sports Stadium|language=en-US|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/facial-recognitions-next-big-play-the-sports-stadium-11596290400|access-date=August 3, 2020|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> Disney's [[Magic Kingdom]], near [[Orlando, Florida]], likewise announced a test of facial recognition technology to create a touchless experience during the pandemic; the test was originally slated to take place between March 23 and April 23, 2021, but the limited timeframe had been removed {{as of|lc=y|pre=late|2021|04|post=.}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Facial Recognition Technology Test |url=https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/park-entry-test/ |website=Walt Disney World Park Entry Technology Test |publisher=Disney |access-date=April 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422135841/https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/park-entry-test/ |archive-date=April 22, 2021}}</ref>

Media companies have begun using face recognition technology to streamline their tracking, organizing, and archiving pictures and videos.<ref>{{cite web |title=Face recognition - Everything you need to know {{!}} Vidispine |url=https://www.vidispine.com/face-recognition |website=www.vidispine.com |language=en}}</ref>