Episode 41: Nasma Ahmed With a Call for a Ban on Facial Recognition Technologies

Facial recognition technologies have attracted mounting attention in recent weeks led by a New York Times report on Clearview AI, soon followed by revelations of police use of the service in multiple Canadian cities. In fact, just after recording the interview for this podcast, there were revelations that the Clearview AI service has been used in Canada by an even wider array of police forces, retailers, insurance investigators, and others than previously imagined. In some instances, those organizations had denied using the service. There are now several privacy commissioner investigations into the situation.

To examine the concerns associated with facial recognition technologies and what we should do about it, I’m joined on the podcast this week by Nasma Ahmed, a technologist and community organizer that works within the intersections of social justice, technology and policy. She recently published an op-ed in the Globe and Mail with McGill’s Taylor Owen calling for a pause on the technology. Nasma is currently Director of the Digital Justice Lab, which is based in Toronto.

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Show Notes:

Taylor Owen and Nasma Ahmed, Let’s Face the Facts: To Ensure Our Digital Rights, We Must Hit Pause on Facial-Recognition Technology

Credits:

Global News, Controversial Facial Recognition Tool Admittedly Used by Toronto Police
CBC News, Why Experts Are Concerned About Facial-Recognition Technology