Microsoft says it is time for government regulation of facial recognition

Facial recognition is becoming more widely used in both general computing and in the wider world. Smartphones and computers can be unlocked with your face, but the technology is also used for security and policing purposes.

While most uses are legitimate and helpful, there is scope for abuse. Microsoft thinks it is time for regulation to help avoid this. The company is calling on government around the world to introduce new laws, but also on the technology industry to introduce safeguards to protect against abuse and bias.

In a blog post which says "it's time for action", Microsoft president Brad Smith expresses his belief that 2019 is the year in which governments need to start regulating facial recognition technology. He says that companies need to acknowledge their social responsibility and accept the fact that the technology needs to be "governed by the rule of law".