Fears for children’s privacy as Delhi schools install facial recognition

A software engineer works on a facial recognition program in Beijing, China. Facial recognition technology is being increasingly deployed in airports, railway stations and cafes across India, with plans for a nationwide system to modernise the police force and its information gathering and criminal identification processes. — Reuters

Facial recognition technologies installed in at least a dozen government-funded schools in Delhi are an “overreach” by Indian authorities and an invasion of children’s privacy, digital rights advocates said on March 2.

The move to introduce facial recognition technology follows a 2019 decision by the Delhi city government to mount closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in more than 700 public schools to ensure the safety of students.