Facial Recognition Technology in New Zealand: Towards a Legal and Ethical Framework

The algorithms of the law must keep pace with new and emerging technologies.
This technology allows remote, contactless, data processing, even without a person’s knowledge. In the current digital environment, where people’s faces are available across multiple databases and captured by numerous cameras, facial recognition has the potential to become a particularly ubiquitous and intrusive tool. The increased surveillance enabled by this technology may ultimately reduce the level of anonymity afforded to citizens in the public space.