rmstein@ieee.org
Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2018 06:56:43 -0700
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/unproven-facial-recognition-companies-target-schools-promising-an-end-to-shootings/2018/06/07/1e9e6d52-68db-11e8-9e38-24e693b38637_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3fccfa98bcd2
"Although facial recognition remains unproven as a deterrent to school
shootings, the specter of classroom violence and companies intensifying
marketing to local education officials could cement the more than 130,000
public and private schools nationwide as one of America's premier testing
grounds -- both for the technology's abilities and for public acceptance
of a new generation of mass surveillance."
Mass shootings at schools in the US, while statistically rare compared to other gun-related deaths (suicide, for instance), are horrifying events. A set of companies are pitching facial recognition technology as a bromide and deterrent, though they are coy to explain how their software stacks function or enable deterrence. Exploiting fear and anxiety are long-practiced sales techniques.