THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 27 March 2020 (Automated facial recognition: what NCRB proposes, what are the concerns (Indian Express))

Automated facial recognition: what NCRB proposes, what are the concerns (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3: Science and Tech  
Prelims level: National Crime Records Bureau
Mains level:  Facial Recognition features and advantage 

Context:

• On June 28, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released a Request for Proposal for an Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS) to be used by police officers across the country.

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What is automated facial recognition?

• AFRS works by maintaining a large database with photos and videos of peoples’ faces.
• Then, a new image of an unidentified person — often taken from CCTV footage — is compared to the existing database to find a match and identify the person.
• The artificial intelligence technology used for pattern-finding and matching is called “neural networks”.
• Currently, facial recognition in India is done manually.

Are there any automated facial recognition systems in use in India?

• It is a new idea the country has started to experiment with.
• On July 1, the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s “DigiYatra” using facial recognition for airport entry was tried in the Hyderabad airport.
• State governments have also taken their own steps towards facial recognition. Telangana police launched their own system in August 2018.

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What does the NCRB request call for?

• The NCRB, which manages crime data for police, would like to use automated facial recognition to identify criminals, missing people, and unidentified dead bodies, as well as for “crime prevention”.
• Its Request for Proposal calls for gathering CCTV footage, as well as photos from newspapers, raids, and sketches.
• The project is aimed at being compatible with other biometrics such as iris and fingerprints.
• It will be a mobile and web application hosted in NCRB’s Data Centre in Delhi, but used by all police stations in the country.

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Why need AFRS?

• Automated Facial Recognition System can play a very vital role in improving outcomes in the area of Criminal identification and verification by facilitating easy recording, analysis, retrieval and sharing of Information between different organisations.
• While fingerprints and iris scans provide far more accurate matching results, automatic facial recognition is an easier solution especially for identification amongst crowds.
• The integration of fingerprint database, face recognition software and iris scans will massively boost the police department’s crime investigation capabilities.
• It will also help civilian verification when needed. No one will be able to get away with a fake ID.

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Integration of databases:

• NCRB has proposed integrating this facial recognition system with multiple existing databases.
• The most prominent is the NCRB-managed Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS).
• Facial recognition has been proposed in the CCTNS program since its origin.
• The new facial recognition system will be integrated with Integrated Criminal Justice System (ICJS), as well as state-specific systems, the Immigration, Visa and Foreigners Registration and Tracking (IVFRT), and the Khoya Paya portal on missing children.

What are the concerns around using facial recognition?

• Cyber experts across the world have cautioned against government abuse of facial recognition technology, as it can be used as tool of control and risks inaccurate results.
• Amid NCRB’s controversial step to install an automated facial recognition system, India should take note of the ongoing privacy debate in the US.
• In the US, the FBI and Department of State operate one of the largest facial recognition systems.
• International organisations have also condemned the Chinese government on its use of surveillance cameras and facial recognition to constrict the rights of Uighurs, a mostly Muslim minority.

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Way forward:

• The NCRB, which manages crime data for police, would like to use automated facial recognition to identify criminals, missing people, and unidentified dead bodies, as well as for “crime prevention”. 

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With respect to “International Atomic Energy Agency”, consider the following statements:
1. It is a specialized agency of United Nations organization which works for the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology.
2. The IAEA and its former Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei, were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A.   1 only
B.   2 only
C.   Both
D.   None 

Answer....................................

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Mains Questions:
Q.1) What is automated facial recognition? What are the concerns around using facial recognition?