Facial recognition can speed you through airport security, but there's a cost

By Laura Hautala

There may be no more dramatic example of the tension between convenience and privacy inherent in facial recognition than the prospect of giving up your identity to clear through security faster. That benefit, after all, comes at a cost. Academic research has shown that facial recognition algorithms have error rates that vary depending on a person's race or gender, meaning some groups could face extra screening more often than others. The technology can be used without your knowledge. And the unalterable data that facial recognition systems collect -- an image of your face -- raises concerns that your movements can be tracked over the course of your life if the records are kept indefinitely. (Source: CNET)