As recently as January, Cato published a warning about the use of facial recognition by law enforcement in the U.S.. Add I reported last week, not only is DHS interested in facial recognition technology, they are running trials of it. The Cato column lays out why this is an illiberal, anti-freedom, anti-American idea:
In the not too distant future, our faces will be our “papers.” Police officers won’t need to talk to us, let alone examine ID documents, in order to identify us. Those who don’t appear in a facial recognition network or take steps to avoid facial scan detection will be the subject of extra scrutiny. Unless lawmakers take steps to ensure that only wanted suspects and those with a history of violent crime are included in law enforcement facial recognition networks those who wish to avoid being identified via facial scans will have to take steps that come at high social and economic cost.
England got rid of it's national ID card when one man spoke up and took action, stating, "I am a liberal, and I am against this sort of thing. "
