Creeping Security State

Facial recognition in bars... Bruce Scheier: It's rarely the initial application that's the problem. It's the follow-on applications. It's the function creep. Before you know it, everyone knows that they are identified the moment they walk into a commercial building. We will all lose privacy, and liberty, and freedom as a result. One more attack and application development hits the afterburners...

Comments

[The Hook]

I believe a good question to ask in regards to this post is, "Is this monitoring occurring on private property?" If the answer is yes and you as a patron do not like this fact then...don't enter the establishment.

Where the problem comes in is when The State either mandates their placement (ala Chicago) in private establishments and/or is able to collect the data that the monitoring devices collect.

Since a bar (or any private establishment) does not have a legal right to use force against any individual they do not threaten the individual's life or property. The State, who does have a monopoly on the legal use of force does pose a direct threat to an individual's life and property and such data should not be turned over to The State.

[John Robb]

There is one problem. Many of the abuses we see in "the states" access to this type of info can be replicated through the commercial market that develops around it. Bruce points that out in his post. The info is captured and sold. It is then combined with other data to build profiles that are then sold again. The State merely has to be a customer (or involk security reasons for open access to the databases).

[jon]

There is also the question of whether the cameras will truly cover only "private" property. Most security cameras also cover the exterior of buildings. Will these cameras be able to recognize people coming down the street, or standing outside the bar. It doesn't seem to me that they will be practical if they wait until someone is actually inside the bar. One of the main functions of bouncers is to ensure that trouble stays outside and doesn't come inside.

[The Hook]

John, I certainly understand your point and you are correct -- but, my ultimate point is to prevent the State from becoming a customer in the first place. This is done by drastically reducing its size so they do not have the ability (or guts/brazeness) to demand this information.