FBI Expert Sees No Point in Facial Recognition

The FBI comments on facial recognition: "The algorithms just do not exist to deliver the highly reliable verification required. This is even though the FBI has been evaluating facial recognition technology since 1963."

This comment, offered during an international biometrics conference, triggered a wave of coverage both in the US and the UK (with the UK newspapers unsurprisingly using this as evidence on why their surveillance plans are wasteful).

According to the reports, the FBI technician would like to use facial recognition but has resigned to the fact that it is not usable for verification. By contrast, UK officials stated they were still interested in using facial recognition.

In the video surveillance market, attempts continue to be made to grow the use of facial surveillance on surveillance cameras however proof of success is limited and deployment complexity is clear.