Introduction
Facial-recognition surveillance is social technology. Facial recognition detects people in large crowds. Facial-recognition systems are controversial.
Key Moral Problems
Facial recognition implies nonconsensual data collection. Facial recognition can be used for immoral purposes. Facial recognition can promote ethnic discrimination.
Personal Perspective
Facial-recognition surveillance violates human rights. Facial-recognition surveillance must be banned. Facial-recognition surveillance cannot be used in a free society.
Utilitarian View
The utilitarian approach recognizes the most beneficial situation as moral. The majority must benefit from the solution. It can both support and discard facial recognition.
Social Contract View
Society laws must be respected. Criminal activity is against the law. Facial-recognition surveillance reduces criminal activity.
Ethical Beliefs
Facial-recognition surveillance is an ethical-beliefs issue. China prefers security over civil liberties. Maine chooses citizens’ civil rights over safety.
References
Gershgorn, D. (2021). Maine passes the strongest state facial recognition ban yet. The Verge.
Marciano, A. (2019). Reframing biometric surveillance: from a means of inspection to a form of control. Ethics and Information Technology, 21, 127–136.
Rachels, S., & Rachels, J. (2019). The elements of moral philosophy (9th ed.). Mcgraw-Hill Education.
Seabright, P., Stieglitz, J., & Van der Straeten, K. (2021). Evaluating social contract theory in the light of evolutionary social science. Evolutionary Human Sciences, 3, 1–22.
Van Noorden, R. (2020). The ethical questions that haunt facial-recognition research. Nature, 587, 354–358.