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It’s that time of the year: My 2020 tech predictions
As 2019 is winding down, here are some of my predictions for the upcoming year. 3, 2, 1… let’s go.
Facial recognition will receive more scrutiny
Facial recognition has faced scrutiny this year, and it is likely that global observers will continue to have privacy concerns over such frameworks.
Earlier this month, it was reported that all mobile phone users in China registering new SIM cards must submit to facial recognition scans. The new law requires telecom companies to deploy “artificial intelligence and other technical methods” to check the identities of people registering SIM cards. All retail stores in the country had until December 1st to start implementing the new regulation. This initiative, described by the ministry of industry and information as a method to “protect the legitimate rights and interest of citizens in cyberspace”, makes mobile phone and internet users easier to track… and that could potentially compromise their freedom.
But China is not the only nation that has been criticized for utilizing facial recognition technologies. In Canada, the Toronto police has been using facial recognition tech since at least 2018. The force stated such ups the speed and efficiency of criminal investigations and has led to arrests in major…