1 Critical Biometrics LFR Design Fiction

[[''Design Fiction 1: Live Facial Recognition''|LFR1]]

''Part 1'' Sam was a bit nervous. She thought it was important to join the March protesting the statues in George Square and hopefully draw people’s attention to the country’s colonial past. But now she was in the crowd, she was getting more concerned about rumours of a counter protest by groups like the Loyalist Defence League. She really didn’t want [[to get caught up|LFR2]] in any violence. [[<img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=14ug_IErk_LlMNzh4qPoN5bRDjtgisIJC" height="auto" width="100%">|LFR1 attribution]]

As the crowd advanced down North Hanover Street, she watched the drones slowly track them, their whine overhead cutting through the deeper human hubbub. The drones picked out congestion points where people bunched together. They hovered and dipped, like dragonflies momentarily alighting, to scan people’s faces and make [[identification requests|LFR3]]. [[<img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=14vez0u9WRvCrZKw71HU5NNDPc4F9yTOW" height="auto" width="100%">|LFR2 attribution]]

[[<img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=15-D7iMRbuiVZbCCQPQrIKh1k-OCjNaKr" / height="auto" width="100%">|LFR3 attribution]] As Sam squeezed in among the protestors approaching the Square, she could see she was going to have to pass under a drone, the black eye of its camera monitoring the crowd below. Before the protest, her mother had insisted that she update her biometric passport on her phone. She had made Sam agree to share her details with anyone doing security checks to keep her safe and out of trouble. [[This was a drone though|LFR4]], not a security guard or police officer.

"<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12135157">File:Glasgow@JamesWatt,PrinzAlbert,QueenVictoria,RobertPeel.jpg</a>" by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Hajotthu">Hajotthu</a> is licensed under <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/?ref=openverse">CC BY 3.0 <img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/cc.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/by.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img></a>. [[Return|LFR1]]

Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/powie-1550508/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1080844">Thomas Ehrhardt</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1080844">Pixabay</a> [[Return|LFR2]]

"<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71227427">File:Trump protest - George Square, Glasgow 13.jpg</a>" by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Stinglehammer">Stinglehammer</a> is marked with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en?ref=openverse">CC0 1.0 <img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/cc.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/zero.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img></a>. [[Return|LFR3]]

As the drone dipped towards her, Sam decided to follow her mother’s advice. She got out her phone and opened her Biometric Passport app. The screen flashed: [[<img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=15rQz68lVGD_P-5ySIuwiLSV_7wa26XzO" / height="auto" width="25%">|LFR4 attribution]] Sam taps [['AGREE'|LFR5]]

Handshake: "<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27480951">Handshake2</a>" by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Wickey-nl">Wickey-nl</a> is licensed under <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse">CC BY-SA 3.0 <img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/cc.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/by.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/sa.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img></a>. Phone: Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/sphotoedit-6033059/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=5924223">sandeep darji</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=5924223">Pixabay</a> [[Return|LFR4]]

Sam continued to read: <img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=16-RQOhffZvU2VcxGxLIQaYtcJoz3vern" / height="auto" width="25%" She looked up at the drone so it could get a good image of her face and eyes. [[Her phone beeped again.|LFR6]]

[[<img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=163_cfp7DHowblvyHPlwInPZbGkwhukZU" / height="auto" width="25%">|LFR6 attribution]] Sam put her phone back in her pocket and continued past the drone. Its attention moved to other people in the crowd; [[she had been marked as no longer of interest|LFR7]].

Image of face by Vectonautaa on Freepik [[Return|LFR6]]

''Part 2'' <img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=16UQt1x9cl_uMKkjnKd-AdzUkePDjMd5g" height="auto" width="100%"> The technician monitored the drones’ movement on the screen, flashing points on a map marking the edge of the crowd, slowly drifting to keep pace with the protest. These drones were relying on thermal sensors, finding the points where the heat of the crowd of people began to dissipate and then facing in with cameras turned [[towards the protestors|LFR8]].

The technician checked the live data feed being relayed and compared them to updates from the few officers on crowd control duty; the drones appeared to be operating effectively. The tech suspected the main protest would be relatively peaceful. The drones had yet to suggest any positive matches using facial [[recognition|LFR9]]. [[<img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=13DOptvyE1hbi5NZON580IfsSX42nHeD5" width="100%">|LFR8 attribute]]

"<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/41431665@N07/21786712320">COD Homeland Security Training Center Opening 2015 6</a>" by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/41431665@N07">COD Newsroom</a> is licensed under <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse">CC BY 2.0 <img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/cc.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/by.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img></a>. [[Return|LFR8]]

Of greater concern were the counter protestors, more loosely grouped and travelling faster. The drones were using multiple sensors to combine thermal data with individual gait and movement tracking. Using this information, they were able to identify potential flare points and monitor the people who moved into these areas. Given the watchlist’s focus on serious anti-social and violent behaviour, it seemed likely that they would find the people on the watchlist at these points; or at least those on the watchlist who might be about to commit further criminal acts. “Targeted surveillance to find those most likely to re-offend”, the tech thought. [[This is what the drones offered|LFR10]].

The computer emits an alert. One of the drones has sent through a positive match. [[<img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1790OOHNfWVHJLSbTUFcbovqfJoqOjIst" width="100%">|LFR11]]

''Part 3'' Tom pulls the scarf further up his face. “Hands off our history!” he chants, joining in with the others as they march down the road. Tom hears a drone whir past overhead, swiftly overtaking them before keeping pace just ahead, its camera pointed in their direction. Someone in the group shouts ‘Don’t let it record you’, followed by ‘Scatter’. Tom doesn’t wait, haring off down a [[side alley|LF12]] away from the protest. [[<img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=14vez0u9WRvCrZKw71HU5NNDPc4F9yTOW" height="auto" width="100%">|LFR2 attribution]]

He keeps running until he can’t hear the drone’s whine anymore. Out of breath, he stops at the corner of Bath Lane, and folds over with his hands on his knees. He hears heavy boots approaching and feels a sinking feeling in his stomach. He looks up at two police officers. He recognises one of the officers, who says, ‘Hello, Tom.’ The other officer points skywards, ‘Our drone has given us a positive match using Facial Recognition and tracked you using biometric gait data. We will now carry out an ID check to confirm your identity’. Tom [[swears under his breath.|LFR13]] [[<img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=17DDoA8uODiCBr3CUokQplbwcEVZ7s7US" height="auto" width="100%">|LFR12 attribution]]

"<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12123244">Police in Glasgow</a>" by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Postdlf">Postdlf</a> is licensed under <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse">CC BY-SA 3.0 <img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/cc.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/by.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/sa.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img></a>. [[Return|LF12]]

''Part 4'' |== <img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=17HCMWMhpG70yx_EHG1odjb_Pr7VSnFOG" height="auto" width="100%"> ==| After arresting Tom Pocock, the officers make their way back to the fringe of the protest. They are stopped on the way by a man accompanied by a child. ‘What the hell is going on? That drone almost took my head off!’ The officers attempt to placate the man: ‘We can assure you that the onboard camera and sensors would stop that happening.’ ‘Cameras? Are you taking pictures of us? You can’t do that!’ ‘They are following the [[protest, sir.|LFR14]]’ |==|

‘And what if I wanted to join the protest? Seems like a good idea – but no way am I letting you record me and my child.’ ‘We’re only checking faces against a watchlist, and that’s only people who have engaged in or are suspected of prior criminal activity. Anything else is deleted from the drones before it’s shared.’ ‘Oh yeah, right. And they actually do that? And what if your little spies in the sky spot me dropping litter or something? Are they going to take my picture and issue a fine?’ ‘As I said, we’re only focussed on a specific watchlist.’ The man glares at them before picking up his child and storming off. The officers watch him go.