{"id":1450775,"date":"2022-04-22T16:00:20","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T20:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1450775"},"modified":"2022-04-22T16:00:28","modified_gmt":"2022-04-22T20:00:28","slug":"how-facial-recognition-software-is-changing-the-war-in-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-facial-recognition-software-is-changing-the-war-in-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"How Facial Recognition Software Is Changing The War In Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-facial-recognition-software-is-changing-the-war-in-ukraine%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1450775&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2022\/04\/Ukraine-2.jpg?w=1200&#038;h=800&#038;ixlib=react-9.3.0\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span>In the early days of the Russian invasion of its neighbor, Ukraine\u2019s defense ministry announced that it had started using facial recognition technology to identify Russian military members, as well as Ukrainians, who have been killed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The announcement followed a letter to the Ukrainian government from co-founder and CEO of Clearview AI, Hoan Ton-That, \u201c<\/span><span>offering free training and usage of our product, which may be of help during this time of terrible conflict.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cMy heart goes out to the Ukrainian people, and my hope is our technology could be used to prevent harm, save innocent people, and protect lives,\u201d Hoan said, before offering assistance to the Ukrainian government.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe would be honored to help in any way,\u201d Hoan concluded.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How does Clearview AI work?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cClearview AI is a facial recognition search engine that can instantly identify someone from just a photo,\u201d Hoan explained in his letter to the Ukrainian government. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The system works by matching a given image with one of over 10 billion photos scraped from the internet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>According to Hoan, Clearview AI is currently used by \u201claw enforcement agencies, military bases, including the FBI, Homeland Security, and more.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Clearview AI\u2019s image database includes a large number of photographs taken from Russian social media platforms, such as Vkontakte.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe have over 2 billion images from the Vkontakte social network in the Clearview AI database,\u201d Hoan claimed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In his letter to the Ukrainian government, Hoan listed several potential use-cases for the system:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>\u201cIdentifying Infiltrators\u201d \u2014 The Clearview AI system could allow Ukrainian authorities to use a photograph of a person (or even their ID card) to gain access to identifying information, such as \u201ctheir real name, associates, friends, family, and links to any public information online about that person.\u201d This could allow \u201c[p]otential infiltrators who may be posing as to help Ukraine\u201d to be \u201cinstantly vetted in real time.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>\u201cDeceased People\u201d \u2014 The Clearview AI system could help with the identification of those killed during the conflict without the use of fingerprints, which are \u201chard to obtain.\u201d According to Hoan, the platform \u201cworks effectively regardless of facial damage that may have occurred to a deceased person,\u201d which is particularly important given the physical impact of the Russian invasion.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>\u201cFighting Misinformation\u201d \u2014 Noting the explosive spread of misinformation and disinformation on social media, Hoan claimed that Clearview AI could be used to \u201chelp correct misinformation in real-time as it shows up.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>\u201cFamily Reunification\u201d \u2014 The Russian invasion of Ukraine has also sparked a refugee crisis, with millions of Ukrainian civilians fleeing the country. \u201cIn situations where there are refugees who are separated from their family,\u201d Hoan wrote, \u201cfacial recognition technology can help identify people who may be stuck in refugee camps, who may not have paperwork or identification, and help them reunify with their families.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>In a statement to the Daily Wire, Clearview AI explained that their \u201c<\/span><span>bias-free facial recognition algorithm can work on photos from multiple angles, in darkness, with and without glasses and facial hair, photos of only parts of a face, due to state of the art artificial intelligence technology.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Noting the use-cases in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Clearview AI also stated that their software \u201chas been shown to be successful in the field when identifying deceased bodies, even with some facial damage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWar zones can be dangerous when there is no way to tell apart enemy combatants from civilians. Facial recognition technology can help reduce uncertainty and increase safety in these situations,\u201d Hoan told the Daily Wire.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>He then explained that Cleaview AI\u2019s algorithm can \u201cpick the correct face out of a lineup of over 12 million photos\u201d at an accuracy rate of 99.85 percent, based on \u201cNIST 1:N Face Recognition Vendor Test.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This is \u201cmuch more accurate than the human eye,\u201d Hoan noted, adding that it would \u201cprevent misidentifications from happening in the field.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How is it being used?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>According to Clearview AI, over 300 accounts had been created by Ukrainian authorities, with over 10,000 searches being performed. Hoan told the Daily Wire that Ukrainian officials have \u201cexpressed their enthusiasm\u201d regarding the program, and are now being trained on safe and effective use of the facial recognition software. Hoan added that \u201c[s]earch results from Clearview AI should not be the sole source of identification.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In addition, Clearview AI\u2019s platform has been translated into Ukrainian, and is reportedly being used by at least five Ukrainian government agencies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>One documented use case of Clearview AI involves the identification of dead Russian soldiers. In a Telegram post by the Ukrainian vice prime minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, he outlined an ongoing campaign to combat Russian propaganda efforts to hide the human cost of their invasion of Ukraine. By identifying Russian soldiers who have been killed, and attempting to reach their families, the Ukrainian government hopes to \u201cdispel the myth of a \u2018special operation\u2019 in which there are \u2018no conscripts\u2019 and \u2018no one dies,\u2019\u201d he <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/04\/07\/technology\/facial-recognition-ukraine-clearview.html\"><span>explained<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What are critics saying?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>In the United States, there are significant privacy concerns regarding Clearview AI\u2019s data collection processes, especially since Clearview provides U.S. law enforcement with its services. Clearview AI is currently facing several lawsuits in the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In fact, several countries \u2014 including the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, France and Australia \u2014 have deemed its practices <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/exclusive-ukraine-has-started-using-clearview-ais-facial-recognition-during-war-2022-03-13\/\"><span>illegal<\/span><\/a><span>, referencing the alleged use of people\u2019s photos without their consent. Meanwhile, Clearview AI has defended its image-gathering strategy, saying it\u2019s similar to Google Search.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>There is also a concern that various tech companies may be leveraging the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a way to expand their influence with little-to-no oversight in terms of privacy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In addition, some critics of facial recognition software argue that the technology should be banned, claiming it can be abused by governments to persecute minority communities or suppress dissidents.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWar zones are often used as testing grounds not just for weapons but surveillance tools that are later deployed on civilian populations or used for law enforcement or crowd control purposes,\u201d Evan Greer, a deputy director for the digital rights group, Fight for the Future, said. \u201cCompanies like Clearview are eager to exploit the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine to normalize the use of their harmful and invasive software.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe already know that authoritarian states like Russia use facial recognition surveillance to crack down on protests and dissent,\u201d Greer added. \u201cExpanding the use of facial recognition doesn\u2019t hurt authoritarians like Putin \u2014 it helps them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In a statement to the Daily Wire, Clearview AI\u2019s chief executive responded to these accusations, saying that he \u201c<\/span><span>created the consequential facial recognition technology known the world over with the purpose of helping to make communities safer and assisting law enforcement in solving heinous crimes against children, seniors and other victims of unscrupulous acts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe only collect public data from the open internet and comply with all standards of privacy and law,\u201d Hoan continued. \u201cI am heartbroken by the misinterpretation by some in the EU, where we do no business, of Clearview AI\u2019s technology to society.\u00a0 My intentions and those of my company have always been to help communities and their people to live better, safer lives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Hoan then noted that \u201c[w]ar zones can be dangerous\u201d when there is no way to distinguish between enemy combatants and civilians, arguing that \u201c[f]acial recognition technology can help reduce uncertainty and increase safety in these situations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201c<\/span><span>Unlike facial recognition technology applied in other authoritarian countries, Clearview AI\u2019s technology is not used in a real-time way, but in a manner that is after the incident has occured,\u201d Hoan concluded. \u201cOur goal is to use our technology to make our communities safer. We are honored to provide our life saving technology for free to the Ukrainian government.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Some U.S.-based companies have even pulled back from facial recognition technology in recent years. For example, Facebook <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/facebook-shutting-down-facial-recognition-system-citing-societal-concerns\"><span>announced<\/span><\/a><span> in November 2021 that it would be shutting down its facial recognition system, citing \u201csocietal concerns\u201d made worse by the fact that \u201cregulators have yet to provide clear rules.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe\u2019re shutting down the Face Recognition system on Facebook,\u201d the company announced in a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/about.fb.com\/news\/2021\/11\/update-on-use-of-face-recognition\/\"><span>blog post<\/span><\/a><span>. \u201cPeople who\u2019ve opted in will no longer be automatically recognized in photos and videos and we will delete more than a billion people\u2019s individual facial recognition templates.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>There are also concerns that misidentification could result in disastrous consequences. For example, Privacy International, a digital rights group, cited this risk when they <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/privacyinternational.org\/news-analysis\/4806\/clearviewukraine-partnership-how-surveillance-companies-exploit-war\"><span>called<\/span><\/a><span> on Clearview AI to pull back from Ukraine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe risks and perils of facial recognition and online surveillance have been extensively aired, and in a war context the potential consequences would be too atrocious to be tolerated \u2014 such as mistaking civilians for soldiers, or Ukrainians for Russian soldiers,\u201d Privacy International argued, before noting the potential for interference by the Russian government, given \u201cPutin\u2019s vast record of perpetrating online manipulation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><em>This article has been updated to include additional comment from Clearview AI chief executive, <span>Hoan Ton-That.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the early days of the Russian invasion of its neighbor, Ukraine\u2019s defense ministry announced that it had started using facial recognition technology to identify Russian military members, as well<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":1450857,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1450775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1450775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/77"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1450775"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1450775\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1450857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1450775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1450775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1450775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}