Despite risks, we're not too fussed about facial recognition

Most Australians are comfortable with the rise of facial recognition software despite concerns about the risks, according to the first national survey on community attitudes to the technology.

As the federal government works towards the implementation of a facial recognition database – and police and schools increasingly embrace the technology – new research by Monash University has found that many people accept it, particularly if it's used for law enforcement.

The study, based on the views of 2291 people, found that 61 per cent of respondents believed facial recognition could be a useful tool for public safety, even though more than a third had concerns about accuracy of the technology and likelihood of bias.

Just under half of those surveyed (49 per cent) agreed that use of facial recognition in public spaces constituted an invasion of privacy, while 50 per cent said they would have no concerns about the technology for safety and security purposes as long as they knew how the data was being used and stored.

The findings are likely to bolster state and federal authorities which are increasingly turning to biometric software for their work, while troubling those who believe the rapid rise of such technology does not come with enough checks and balances.

Earlier this year for instance, privacy experts described as “very dangerous” revelations that an Australian entrepreneur had developed facial recognition technology being used by US law enforcement agencies, which allows surveillance images to identify suspects by matching their social media profiles.

In Victoria, police are also quietly using biometric software to identify criminal suspects at 85 of the state's busiest police stations, while a small number of private schools have trialled scanners that sweep classrooms for students’ faces to ensure no one is missing.

Monash University researcher Dr Robbie Fordyce said the findings suggested that many Australians were still unaware of how facial recognition worked or the lack of legislation surrounding it.

While respondents were fine with facial recognition technology for public safety, they did not generally support using it to track shoppers’ activities and were also uncomfortable with employers, workplaces or schools using it to track people’s movements or monitor moods.

“There was a sense that people were more OK with the government having the data than private companies, but the reality is, in plenty of cases it will be private companies managing the data,” he said.

“People can cry foul about China but this technology is coming from many different nations around the world, and tends to be used in a non-standardised way.

"These companies won’t operate in the same way, they won’t store data in the same way, and they won’t make it accessible in the same way.”

The Monash University study was conducted earlier this year by Melbourne-based WhereTo Research Consultants before the spread of COVID-19.

It comes after the Department of Home Affairs recently sought to create and maintain a national database of facial images and other identity information that would be shared by state and federal government agencies.

However, the bill was rejected in October by a joint parliamentary committee which demanded that the legislation be redrafted.

Respondents to the Monash survey were also asked what first came to mind when they thought of facial recognition.

“Abuse by the police and other authorities,” one person answered. Another replied: “Orwell’s 1984.”