When you walk into an airport, hotel, or any other facility with security cameras monitoring your every move, the last thing you probably think about is whether or not the system can recognize your face. However, as technology continues to advance and become more accessible to businesses of all sizes, facial recognition software has become a common feature in security camera systems. This can be especially helpful for small businesses that may not have the resources to hire full-time security staff. Facial recognition software lets you set rules for when a certain person’s face appears in the view of a camera, such as an owner or manager. The software can then trigger an alert, such as emailing a manager. Facial recognition software can also be used to let you log in to the system with your face.
This can let you grant other employees access to the system or let you lock out certain employees. And while this type of security camera is typically intended to increase the accuracy and efficiency of surveillance processes, it can also pose certain risks for businesses that choose to implement them. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the potential pros and cons associated with facial recognition security cameras, as well as some helpful tips for ensuring your business does not fall victim to any potential dangers associated with this technology.
What is Facial Recognition?
Facial recognition is the process of scanning and analyzing images of human faces to identify the individuals in the images. Facial recognition software identifies specific features on the face, such as the distance between the eyes or the shape of the nose. These features are compared with a database of known information to determine the identity of the face. Facial recognition can be used for a variety of purposes, such as security and identification, marketing, entertainment, and biometric profiling. Facial recognition works best with frontal view photos of one or two people. It is less accurate with photos taken from an angle or zoomed in close, or if the subject is wearing sunglasses. Many people associate this technology with AI-powered robots, but in reality, facial recognition software is quite similar to the facial recognition technology used by humans. Computers have been able to scan and identify human faces since the 1990s. There are three common methods for facial recognition:
- Online facial recognition is used for identity verification and authentication, often in connection with online banking or other financial transactions.
- Offline facial recognition is used for identity verification and authentication, such as in law enforcement and border control.
- Biometric facial recognition is used for identity verification and authentication (as well as for the identification of things like medical conditions, emotions, etc.).
Pros of Facial Recognition Security Cameras
In addition to being able to identify a person’s identity, facial recognition security cameras can also detect and record things like the person’s age, gender, and approximate distance from the camera. This can be helpful in situations like missing child alerts and determining whether or not an individual is a threat. When compared to other forms of identification, facial recognition security cameras can accurately identify someone about 80 percent of the time. While this might seem like a low percentage, it’s important to remember that recognition is not the same thing as verification. And because facial recognition is less invasive than other forms of identification like fingerprints and DNA, it’s the ideal security solution for businesses that need to keep customer data private.
Cons of Facial Recognition Security Cameras
Like all technologies, facial recognition security cameras do have their cons. One of the biggest issues businesses are currently facing is misidentification. In other words, the software may incorrectly identify an individual as someone else, which could cause false alarms and disrupt the customer experience. While facial recognition can be very accurate in controlled environments, it is particularly sensitive to lighting, angle, and image quality. And while some businesses have found ways to mitigate these issues (such as with software adjustments and high-quality cameras), there are certain situations where misidentification is unavoidable. Another potential con of facial recognition security cameras is the fact that they can be used to collect data about your customers and their daily habits. While businesses that use this form of identification typically delete the data as soon as it’s no longer needed, some customers have expressed privacy concerns surrounding the ability of businesses to collect data on their faces.
Tips for Implementing Facial Recognition Security Cameras
Before you decide to invest in facial recognition security cameras, it’s important to consider your current security system and the types of risks your business is currently facing. Some businesses may not require advanced facial recognition software and may be better off with a standard security camera system. If you’re unsure of which type of security camera is right for your business, consult with a security professional to help you determine your security needs and find the best solution for your facility. If you do decide that this technology makes sense for your business, there are several steps you can take to minimize the associated risks:
With employees - Before you implement facial recognition security cameras, be sure to speak with your employees and outline their role in the process. All employees must understand that they are not allowed to manipulate or change the facial recognition settings in any way.
With customers - Similarly, you should let your customers know that facial recognition security cameras are not meant to collect data. Instead, they are meant to accurately identify customers who enter your business.
With partners - If you work with any partners who use facial recognition security cameras, be sure to outline their restrictions and limitations.
With customers’ information - Finally, make sure you are protecting your customers’ data. If the facial recognition security cameras collect data consistently, make sure you have a strict data retention policy in place.
Conclusion
While facial recognition security cameras are an incredibly efficient and accurate way to identify customers and employees, they can also pose certain risks. Businesses that decide to implement this technology should be sure to keep their customers informed about the process and protect their data to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks. With these risks in mind, it’s important to select the right equipment and implement facial recognition security cameras in a way that minimizes these issues. When properly managed, facial recognition security cameras can help improve your security system while keeping your customers’ data protected.
A good facial recognition system will have rules in place to prevent false positives and ensure that only people with permission to access certain areas are permitted access. These rules can be business specific or can be preset rules that are programmed into the system. If your security system uses facial recognition, you will be able to track who comes in and out of the building and when they were there. This can be helpful if there is ever a break-in or if there is ever a question about who was in a certain part of the building at a certain time.
