Can face recognition keep airports safe?
As U.S. airports begin installing face-recognition systems to thwart terrorism in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, civil rights activists are rushing to decry the technology as ineffective and invasive. The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday derided the use of face-recognition software in airports, saying it doesn’t work and “offers us neither order nor liberty.” The report comes the same day that ADT Security Services, one of the largest security companies, with a growing presence in airports, agreed to use face-recognition systems from Visionics. Boston’s Logan International Airport also announced plans earlier this week to install such technology. Officials at airports across the country are clamoring to implement additional safety measures to protect travelers and employees against potential terrorist threats. Some security experts, who believe better high-tech surveillance systems could have prevented the Sept. 11 attacks, have said they are optimistic about the use of fa
