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Article 1: Facial recognition used to take payments from school children
On the 18th of October 2021, nine schools in North Ayrshire have started using facial recognition software for lunch payments for students, claiming it will speed up service and reduce COVID-19 risks that was associated with card payments and fingerprint scanners. While 97% of parents consented to the system, some parents expressed concerns about exposing children to biometric surveillance and that they weren’t confident that the students were adequately informed about the privacy risks. David Swanston, managing director of the system’s provider, stated that the system significantly reduces transaction times during lunch periods. Schools in the U.S. have banned this technology indicating that they had concerns about the privacy and regulations of this product. Mr Fraser Sampson the Biometrics Commissioner for England and Wales, has argued that the facial technology is not covered under the same laws as those of DNA and fingerprint and that less intrusive payment methods should be used. Facial recognition systems were installed in the queues to enter Download Festival at Donnington Park by the police back in 2015. Non-live versions were used for mugshot matching and used as an authenticator to login to your phone. This is not privacy concerning as you have more control of whose face is being matched. Some campaigners have shown their concerns that this system exposes people in crowds to be arrested without a reason. However, following this no action was taken. Silkie Carlo, head of Big Brother Watch, criticized the use of biometric checks for everyday tasks like school lunches, stating, “There’s no need for airport-style technology.” Campaigners argue it’s unnecessary and invasive, especially since a study by the Metropolitan Police found that the system is 81% accurate.
My perspective:
Since this is initiative was launched in 2021 and COVID hit us in 2019, I believe these measures weren’t necessary. These students were already traumatised by the pandemic, having spent over two years living in a bubble in result of this situation. Now that they returned to school, they encountered systems they were unfamiliar with. From my perspective, before instructing them to use this system, it would have been more appropriate to provide a brief overview of its purpose and explain the situation, rather than simply asking for parental permission. Additionally, if the students’ parents had privacy concerns related to this system the school should have addressed them and gave them the reassurance that this system was only going to be used to refrain the spread of COVID and also to fasten the payment process during lunch time. On a positive note, this system could have encouraged the students to engage with advanced technology an understand its pros and cons. By fastening the lunch payment process students now may have more time to relax during their breaks, enjoy their meals without feeling rushed and spend more time with friends instead of waiting in long lines. While they may have used alternative solutions, it seems that this system is the norm not only in schools but in many other situations. For example, phone authenticator, airports and as a work punching system. Whether we like it or not, AI is here to stay, and we must adapt cause if we don’t, we will stay behind. I do believe that it’s crucial to provide more awareness and information especially for students and older generation. If this is done, they can familiarise themselves with these changes and they do not resist.
Promote Accessible Transportation & Prevent air pollution
Malta has a population of over 563,000 (NSO Malta, July 2024) and more than 438,000 cars on the roads (Newsbook, February 2024). Despite 2023 being the first full year of free public transport, there was still a record increase of over 13,000 new vehicle registrations compared to the previous year (Newsbook, February 2024). This shows that free public transport isn’t a complete solution to reducing the number of cars on the roads. I strongly believe that to encourage use of public transport, significant changes are necessary, particularly in increasing bus frequency and expanding routes.
Additionally, I believe that another effective way to reduce traffic and air pollution is for the Government to enforce remote working where possible. During the Covid-19 pandemic Malta saw a substantial decrease in traffic, which led to improvements in air quality. Studies found that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels, mainly produced by vehicles dropped by over 50% in congested areas. Obviously this is because many people were working from home. For example, Msida experienced 52% reduction and Zejtun saw a 57% decrease (Lovin Malta, January 2021).
It’s unfortunate that the younger generation are leaving our beautiful island due to these issues and because they are looking for a better quality of life. However, I remain hopeful that with the right changes, we can reduce the number of cars on the road, leading to less traffic and a better environment that we all can enjoy.