- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmy.world
Retailers increasingly are using facial recognition software to patrol their stores for shoplifters and other unwanted customers. But the technology’s accuracy is highly dependent on technical factors — the cameras’ video quality, a store’s lighting, the size of its face database — and a mismatch can lead to dangerous results.
This is why traffic cams in the US have had issues for years, and most of them are run privately, and issue “civil fines”.
Because “civil fines” (taxes, under another name, same as “civil fees”) don’t have the legal issues of receiving a ticket.
Tickets generally require interaction with an officer. Since cameras and their companies aren’t officers, they can’t generate a ticket/summons. So the gov end-runs this by using civil fees/fines, with the camera operators receiving upward of 85% of the fee.
And being a fee/fine, it’s difficult to get out of, even if you’re innocent and pursue it in court.
Of course, every jurisdiction is different, so it depends on the local legal structure.
To add onto this, here’s a story about how someone who had their car stolen (and they could prove it) lost their initial objection to the charges from a red light camera.
The charges only dissappeared once the news got involved. https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-red-light-ticket-camera-illinois-car-stolen-theft/11677595/