Surveillance startup wins Microsoft backing as a ‘tool for good’

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 14: A video surveillance camera hangs from the side of a building on May 14, 2019 in San Francisco, California. San Francisco could be the first city in the United States to ban facial recognition technology by police and city agencies. The San Francisco board of supervisors will vote on the measure today. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

A month ago, AnyVision was preparing to announce an investment round and tell the world that the Israeli computer-vision and facial-recognition startup had the backing of two new high-profile investors. 

But with funding secured and a press release ready to go, AnyVision hit pause. Instead, its founders spent a few weeks ensuring that the policies governing the use of its technology met the ethical standards of incoming investor Microsoft Corp. Facial recognition technology is under a microscope these days amid worries that it can be used to facilitate mass surveillance, amplify human bias in policing and otherwise violate people’s civil rights.