AI Case Study

"According to the document, the Secret Service will test whether its system can identify certain volunteer staff members by scanning video feeds from existing cameras “from two separate locations on the White House Complex, and will include images of individuals passing by on public streets and parks adjacent to the White House Complex.” The ultimate goal seems to be to give the Secret Service the ability to track “subjects of interest” in public spaces.

Physical protection of the president and the White House is not only a legitimate goal but a vital one for protecting the stability of our republic. And while this pilot program seems to be a relatively narrowly defined test that does not in itself pose a significant threat to privacy, it crosses an important line by opening the door to the mass, suspicionless scrutiny of Americans on public sidewalks. That makes it worth pausing to ask how the agency’s use of face recognition is likely to expand — and the constitutional concerns that it raises.

We don’t exactly know how the Secret Service determines if someone is a “subject of interest.” The agency says they could be flagged through a variety of means, including “social media posts made in public forums” as well as suspicious activity reports and media reporting. Unfortunately, our government agencies have a long history of labeling people threats based on their race, religion, or political beliefs. Just last year, for example, a leaked document revealed that the FBI had prepared an intelligence assessment wrongly profiling Black activists as threats based on their race and beliefs, labeling them “Black Identity Extremists”." (ACLU)

"The test was scheduled to begin on November 19th and to end on August 30th, 2019. While it’s running, film footage with a facial match will be saved, then confirmed by human evaluators and eventually deleted. The document acknowledges that running facial recognition technology on unaware visitors could be invasive, but it notes that the White House complex is already a “highly monitored area” and people can choose to avoid visiting. We don’t know whether the test is actually in operation, however. “For operational security purposes we do not comment on the means and methods of how we conduct our protective operations,” a spokesperson told The Verge.

Secret Service agents are already given photos to identify subjects of interest, who might be chosen based on social media posts, media reports, or “reports from concerned citizens.” If facial recognition is rolled out more broadly, it will serve as an automated version of that surveillance process." (Theverge)