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A24 TECHNOLOGY
Thursday 31 OcTOber 2019
Concert promoters turn away from facial recognition tech

BY MATT O'BRIEN ues. The biggest location
AP Technology Writer known to employ it is New
BOSTON (AP) — Concert York City's Madison Square
promoters in the U.S. are Garden, which confirmed
stepping back from plans this week that facial recog-
to scan festivalgoers with nition is one of the security
facial recognition technol- measures it uses "to ensure
ogy, after musicians and the safety of everyone" in
others gave it some serious the arena. It declined to
side-eye. say what it looks at and
Although it remains entirely why. The New York Times
possible that music venues first reported its use last
will eventually take a sec- year.
ond look at the controver- While the music industry
sial technology. paused, Major League
Live-entertainment giants Baseball stole a base by
AEG Presents and Live rolling out biometric tick-
Nation both recently dis- eting in the U.S., usually
avowed any plans to use involving fingerprints or iris
facial recognition at music scans to get into ballparks.
festivals, despite earlier in- Authorities in some parts
dications to the contrary. In this Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, file photo, festival-goers attend the Voodoo Music Experience in City of Europe have bounced
Their public pronounce- Park in New Orleans. around the idea of using
ments have led a group of Associated Press either facial or voice rec-
musicians to declare vic- ognition to keep tabs on
tory after a months-long time to analyze their be- ern California and other month to say: "AEG festivals unruly soccer fans, such as
campaign to halt the tech- havior. major events, updated its do not use facial recogni- those participating in rac-
nology's use at live shows. Both concert organiza- online privacy policy ear- tion technology and do ist chants. Police agencies
Advances in computer vi- tions seemed to be edg- lier this year with language not have plans to imple- in China have used facial
sion have enabled busi- ing toward remembering stating that it may collect ment." AEG confirmed that recognition at concerts
nesses to install cameras more faces. In May 2018, facial images at its events statement this week but featuring pop singer Jacky
that can recognize individ- for instance, Live Nation and venues for "access declined further comment. Cheung to identify and
uals by their face or other subsidiary Ticketmaster an- control," creating aggre- Live Nation said in a state- arrest people wanted as
biometric characteristics. nounced it was partnering gate data or for "personal- ment that "we do not cur- criminal suspects.
Venue operators have talk- with and investing in Texas ization" — a term common- rently have plans to deploy American music event pro-
ed about using the tech- facial recognition startup ly used by retailers trying to facial recognition technol- moters this fall have been
nology at gateways to se- Blink Identity, saying in a tailor advertising or promo- ogy at our clients' venues." pressured to disclose their
cure entry for select groups note to shareholders that its tions to a specific custom- The company insisted that facial recognition plans by
or to offer perks for repeat technology will enable mu- er's behavior. any future use would be digital rights group Fight
customers. sic fans to associate their Now, however, both or- "strictly opt-in," so that non- for the Future, which asked
Privacy advocates worry digital ticket with their im- ganizations have done an consenting fans won't have dozens of festival organiz-
that such uses might also age and "then just walk into about-face. AEG's chief to worry about potentially ers to pledge not to use
pave the way for greater the show." operating officer for fes- facing the music. a technology it describes
intrusions, such as scanning AEG, which operates the tivals, Melissa Ormond, Facial recognition isn't as invasive and racially
audience members in real Coachella festival in south- emailed activists earlier this seen in many musical ven- biased.q

Apple resumes human reviews

of Siri audio with iPhone update

audio. later in the settings. Apple plans to resume human
While common in the tech also specifies that Siri data reviews this fall, but hadn't
industry, the practice un- is not associated with a us- specified when. Apple also
dermined Apple's attempts er's Apple ID. said then that it would stop
to position itself as a trusted Tech companies say the using contractors for the re-
steward of privacy. CEO practice helps them to im- views. Other tech compa-
Tim Cook repeatedly has prove their artificial intelli- nies have also been resum-
declared the company's gence services. ing the practice after giving
belief that "privacy is a fun- But the use of humans to more notice. Google re-
damental human right," a listen to audio recordings started the practice in Sep-
A screen displays a notice when installing the update, iOS 13.2 phrase that cropped up is particularly troubling to tember, after taking similar
on an iPhone on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019, in New York.
Associated Press again in Apple's apology. privacy experts because it steps to make sure people
Now, Apple is giving con- increases the chances that know what they are agree-
By MAE ANDERSON update. sumers notice when install- a rogue employee or con- ing to. Also in September
AP Technology Writer In August, Apple suspend- ing the update, iOS 13.2. In- tractor could leak details of Amazon said users of its Al-
Apple is resuming the use of ed the practice and apol- dividuals can choose "Not what is being said, includ- exa digital assistant could
humans to review Siri com- ogized for the way it used Now" to decline audio stor- ing parts of sensitive con- request that recordings of
mands and dictation with people, rather than just age and review. Users who versations. their voice commands de-
the latest iPhone software machines, to review the enable this can turn it off Apple previously disclosed lete automatically.q