Should Australia introduce mass facial recognition surveillance?
Video clip at right: On March 10, 2020, a report was televised revealing China's use of drones and facial recognition technology to help control the spread of the coronavirus.
Introduction to the media issue
What they said...'[These services] will help protect Australians by making it easier for security and law enforcement agencies to identify people who are suspects or victims of terrorist or other criminal activity'
Julie Bishop, Former Australian Foreign Minister, referring to the value of facial recognition technology
'It changes the world we're in. It's this idea that you can be watched anytime'
Professor Toby Walsh, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and an Artificial Intelligence expert
The issue at a glance
On March 22, 2020, it was reported that governments around the world were using new and expanded forms of facial recognition technology to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Advocates have stressed the huge gains in individual accountability and community safety such technology can provide. Critics fear these developments will exacerbate the erosion of personal liberties.On July 31, 2019, the Morrison government put before the parliament bills which would allow government agencies, telcos and banks to use facial recognition technology to collect and share images of people across the country.
The government's identity-matching bills, Identity-matching Services Bill and the Passports Amendment Bill, aim to set up a national database of images captured through facial recognition technology and other pieces of information used to identify people, such as driver's licenses, passports, and visa photos.
On October 24, 2019, the plan was temporarily blocked when the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) handed down an extensive report calling for significant changes to the legislation to ensure stronger privacy protections and other safeguards against misuse.