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That's the geek attitude here, thinking it's a technical problem. But it's a human one, and no amount of smartness will fix it. If you have a surveillance stat

That's the geek attitude here, thinking it's a technical problem. But it's a human one, and no amount of smartness will fix it. If you have a surveillance state, it will not "will up the game by referencing other data". It will simply make the gears illegal, and the price to pay harsh. Now you won't dare wearing them and if you do, you are guilty even if you are not a criminal, and tagging yourself as such, making it easier for the police to find you.

Spooky23 9y ago
Exactly. The legal framework and precedent is not based on pervasive electronic surveillance.
wpietri 9y ago
Yes, exactly. And another element of the geek attitude is overestimating the number of people willing to adopt a burdensome technological solution in the name of (a very particular kind of) freedom. Most people will just accept the new surveillance reality and then act according to the state's wishes, exactly as most drivers slow down when they see a cop by the side of the road.
Aunche 9y ago
If China doesn't have the resources to stop all actual crime, they certainly don't have the resources to stop people from wearing makeup, sunglasses or hats.
- michaelt 9y ago
  Depends how many people are avoiding facial recognition. A large railway station can have 15 to 100 million passenger entries per year [1]. That means if 0.1% of people hide from facial recognition, cops at such stations could arrest 40-270 people per day. And with a suspect arrested, a photo showing them in disguise, and a police witness, it's an open-and-shut case. That's way more cases closed per cop-hour than investigating complex crimes like burglary, murder or rape. Just what you want, if your police chief is judged on their clean-up/arrest rates. And if order of fewer people than that are avoiding facial recognition? Then you've got a surveillance state. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_busiest_railway_stations_in_Great_Britain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_busiest_railway_statio...
  - Aunche 9y ago
    You don't need a disguise. You just need some accessories or make up to throw off the neural network. Humans are still much better at facial recognition than computers, but even they can get thrown off by make up. There's no way to tell if someone is intentionally trying to avoid facial recognition or regularly wear makeup or sunglasses.
- onetimemanytime 9y ago
  >>they certainly don't have the resources to stop people from wearing makeup, sunglasses or hats. You need to make one mistake, just one. Plus, these people stick like sore thumbs

Spooky23 9y ago

Exactly. The legal framework and precedent is not based on pervasive electronic surveillance.

wpietri 9y ago

Yes, exactly. And another element of the geek attitude is overestimating the number of people willing to adopt a burdensome technological solution in the name of (a very particular kind of) freedom. Most people will just accept the new surveillance reality and then act according to the state's wishes, exactly as most drivers slow down when they see a cop by the side of the road.

Aunche 9y ago

If China doesn't have the resources to stop all actual crime, they certainly don't have the resources to stop people from wearing makeup, sunglasses or hats.

michaelt 9y ago
Depends how many people are avoiding facial recognition. A large railway station can have 15 to 100 million passenger entries per year [1]. That means if 0.1% of people hide from facial recognition, cops at such stations could arrest 40-270 people per day. And with a suspect arrested, a photo showing them in disguise, and a police witness, it's an open-and-shut case. That's way more cases closed per cop-hour than investigating complex crimes like burglary, murder or rape. Just what you want, if your police chief is judged on their clean-up/arrest rates. And if order of fewer people than that are avoiding facial recognition? Then you've got a surveillance state. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_busiest_railway_stations_in_Great_Britain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_busiest_railway_statio...
- Aunche 9y ago
  You don't need a disguise. You just need some accessories or make up to throw off the neural network. Humans are still much better at facial recognition than computers, but even they can get thrown off by make up. There's no way to tell if someone is intentionally trying to avoid facial recognition or regularly wear makeup or sunglasses.
onetimemanytime 9y ago
>>they certainly don't have the resources to stop people from wearing makeup, sunglasses or hats. You need to make one mistake, just one. Plus, these people stick like sore thumbs