The Weekly Cypher is specially curated to keep you up-to-date on the latest in cybersecurity, biometrics, and related news and innovations. Here are a few of the headlines you might have missed this week.
Microsoft ‘Improves’ Racial ID Problem in Facial Recognition Software | Gizmodo
Microsoft announced improvements to its fundamentally biased facial recognition software. A research paper earlier this year found the software had an error rate as high as 20.8 percent when identifying the gender of people of color, particularly women with darker skin tones. In contrast, Microsoft’s AI was zero percent error rate when identifying the gender of photos of “lighter male faces.” [Read More]
Orlando Ends Pilot of Amazon Recognition Facial Rekognition Software | Florida Politics
The city of Orlando ended its pilot project for police use of Amazon Rekognition facial recognition software but held the door open for possible further use. The action followed a six-month investigation by the ACLU obtained records revealing that Amazon was working with many law enforcement agencies, including the Orlando Police Department, to push its face surveillance product. [Read More]
Tech CEO: Facial Recognition Not Ready for Law Enforcement Use | Techcrunch
Brian Brackeen, Chief Executive Officer of the facial recognition software developer Kairos: “The technology industry needs to address the darker, more offensive side of some of its more spectacular advancements. Facial recognition technologies, used in the identification of suspects, negatively affects people of color. To deny this fact would be a lie.” [Read More]
New Interpol Voice ID Database Uses Samples From 192 Law Enforcement Agencies | The Intercept
The Speaker Identification Integrated Project, (SiiP), is a major development in the international expansion of voice biometrics for law enforcement. SiiP joins Interpol’s existing fingerprint and face databases. Its key advantage is the possibility of providing a quick ID process in the absence of other identifiers. Interpol says SiiP can filter voice samples by gender, age, language, and accent. [Read More]
India’s UIDAI says law prohibits police use of national biometric database | Times of India
The Unique Identity Authority of India said turned down a request from the National Crime Records Bureau for limited access to its database, saying that the legislation that created it does not allow law enforcement use of the biometric database and that it has never shared data with any law enforcement agency. [Read More]
