Amazon Uses Public Surveillance Software to Catch Criminals
Lovers of not living in a totalitarian sh*thole have long been warning of the coming of Big Brother. To them, we're just a few bureaucrats with a god complex away from America turning into a giant statist suckfest. What's especially scary is they're not wrong. Get a load of Amazon's new software:
Tech companies are trying to sell police real-time facial recognition systems, which can track and identify people as they walk down the street. As NPR reported two weeks ago, American police have generally held off, but there's new evidence that one police department — Orlando, Fla. — has decided to try it out.What's more, Orlando ordered its facial recognition system from Amazon.
This information was uncovered by the ACLU, which noticed that law enforcement customers were mentioned in the marketing of Amazon's "Rekognition" service. Until now, American police have used facial recognition primarily to compare still photos from crime scenes with mug shots. But now Amazon and Orlando are taking it further, by using facial recognition to spot people in real time.
I think I liked things better the old-fashioned way. When the only unwanted surveillance you had to worry about was a horny perv-boy looking to get a peek into your daughter's window. Which is bad, don't get me wrong. But we've upped the ante.
For people who'd prefer to not be victim to a criminal douchelord, this software might seem like a good idea. I'm sure it probably does a bang-up job of nipping crooks. One problem. Everyone else's movements are being recorded and cataloged. Every second of every minute of every hour of every day. This, my friends, is the stuff of which nightmares are made. Also, sci-fi movies which cross over into criminal mysteries. It's 24 meets The Bourne Identity meets your life.
Now imagine a loopy leftist with a grudge against you at the controls. They have access to your entire public comings and goings. They could ruin your life with that info. Faster than they can say "venti soy latte with a unicorn in the foam." You may say I'm paranoid. Fine. But I'd rather not be recorded all the for the simple act of being alive.
On the bright side, not all surveillance has to be disturbing:
