In our increasingly tech-saturated world, the specter of facial recognition looms large. From smartphones to security cameras, our faces are constantly being captured and analyzed. While this technology offers convenience and security benefits, it also raises concerns about privacy and surveillance. So, how can you reclaim your anonymity in the age of facial recognition?

What is Facial Recognition

Facial recognition is a technology that uses software to identify or verify a person's identity based on their face. This system analyzes a digital image or video of a face, extracting key face features like the shape of your nose, the distance between your eyes, and the contours of your jawline, and then comparing these features to a database where known faces are collected.

Sometimes people confuse facial recognition and face detection. You can learn about the key differences here: Face Recognition vs. Face Detection: Understanding the Key Differences

How Is Public Facial Recognition Possible?

Thanks to machine vision, a branch of computer science, it's possible to create software algorithms that quickly match a face in a photo or video to large databases of faces to identify or verify an individual's identity.

Nowadays, modern cameras are so good and computers are incredibly fast, so it’s not difficult to build facial recognition systems in public spaces like airports, train stations, or city centers. These systems continuously capture images and compare them against databases in real-time. Some systems use special infrared or depth-sensing cameras for better accuracy in difficult lighting conditions.

How do they create the databases? Facial recognition systems rely on access to extensive databases of facial images, which may contain many photos from government sources, social media platforms, or private companies.

To learn methods to avoid facial recognition, read this article: How to Avoid Facial Recognition