Central idea and theme

Facial recognition technology captures images of our faces and identifies who we are. It’s used for reasons big and small, from unlocking smartphones to solving crimes. However, there are barely any laws surrounding its use. That makes some people uncomfortable. Some worry about people of color being unfairly targeted by police. For example, research shows that the technology works best when identifying the faces of middle-aged White men. Its rates of error are highest for Black women, making them more likely to be wrongly arrested. Others fear for their privacy with the technology, as it may be used to identify people without their consent. Citizens around the world want more laws surrounding facial recognition technology. However, its use is growing faster than these concerns can be addressed.