Facial recognition used to take payments from schoolchildren.
Nine schools in North Ayrshire have introduced facial recognition technology to reduce COVID-19 transmission risks and speed up lunch queues. David Swanston, Managing Director of CRB Cunninghams, the company providing the system, claims it’s the fastest method for identifying students at the till, with an average transaction time of five seconds per student. He noted the high demand for quick processing, as some schools serve up to 1,000 students within a 25-minute period. However, parents and campaigners have raised concerns about exposing students to biometric surveillance, arguing that students haven’t been adequately informed about potential privacy risks.
Campaigners are raising concerns that the type of technology exposes people in crowds to potential arrest without reasonable cause. Despite their calls for regulation, no legislation has yet been introduced to treat this technology on an equal statutory footing with other biometrics like fingerprints and DNA. An independent study commissioned by the Metropolitan Police found that the system is 81% inaccurate. Silkie Carlo, the head of Big Brother Watch, stated that It’s normalising biometric identity check for something that is ordinary. You don’t need to resort to airport-style technology for children getting their lunch.
Despite these concerns, 97% of students or parents have consented to facial recognition for lunch payments. The Department for Education does not oversee the use of this technology in schools. In contrast, New York has temporarily banned facial recognition in schools due to similar concerns. Fraser Sampson, Biometrics Commissioner for England and Wales, noted that a less intrusive payment method should be used if possible. Facial recognition has been used previously in the UK, including a 2015 trial by Leicestershire Police at the Download Festival to manage entry queues. Today, it’s used in settings like airport eGates and Notting Hill Carnival, where crowd identification is needed.
My Opinion
In today’s world, where we rely heavily on technology, I believe it’s essential to take a step back and reflect on whether we truly need this level of assistance. While technology can be beneficial, it is not always accurate. Over time, it seems we are losing one of our greatest assets: the human mindset. Technology is helpful in improving our own content, but relying solely on AI to create content will likely not reached the results we hope for.
