Google’s Controversial Facial Recognition Project Raises Concerns Over Data Collection from Children
Google has recently come under fire for its latest data collection project involving facial recognition. The tech giant has reportedly hired a contractor to gather facial recognition data specifically from children, sparking concerns about privacy and the potential implications for the younger generation. According to reports, parents are being offered $50 for their child’s participation in this project.
The data collection effort revolves around Google collecting specific information such as eyelid shape and skin tone of children. To obtain this data, parents are asked to film their children wearing various props like hats and sunglasses. TELUS, acting on behalf of Google, is responsible for compensating parents participating in this project. The primary objective of this initiative is to build datasets for machine learning, artificial intelligence, and facial recognition technologies.
What makes this data collection method controversial is the fact that it deviates from traditional approaches of scraping existing images or analyzing previously collected materials found on the internet. Instead, Google is directly involving the public in its data gathering processes and compensating them for their contributions. Google has clarified that this initiative is part of their efforts to verify users’ age.
Participants in the project must be minors between the ages of 13 and 17. The process involves taking multiple short videos, each under 40 seconds, with the overall task expected to take around 30 to 45 minutes. It is important to note that filming of children is only permitted on private premises with parental consent.
TELUS, which also offers facial recognition products, has stated that the purpose of this data collection is to capture a diverse range of participants. This diversity aims to ensure that the services and products derived from this data are representative of a broad set of end-users. The collected data is intended to improve authentication methods and provide users with more secure tools.
Google has emphasized that TELUS’s involvement is solely for participant identification, with Google directly receiving the recorded videos. The tech giant has reiterated its commitment to age-appropriate experiences and compliance with laws and regulations. It has also emphasized the implementation of strict privacy protections, including the option for participants to delete their data at any time.
However, this latest data collection scheme by Google raises concerns, particularly in light of the discovery last year that AI training datasets included child pornography. This revelation was the result of a study conducted by The Stanford Internet Observatory, in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and other anti-abuse charities. The study found over 3,200 images of suspected child sexual abuse in the AI database LAION, which is used to train leading AI image-makers.
The presence of child pornography in AI training datasets has alarmed various sectors, including schools and law enforcement. The inclusion of explicit child images in training datasets allows AI systems to produce explicit and realistic imagery of fake children and even transform social media photos of real teens into deepfake nudes. This direct and disturbing reality is far more concerning than previous beliefs that AI tools only produced abusive imagery by combining adult pornography with benign photos of children.
Overall, Google’s controversial facial recognition project involving data collection from children has sparked significant concerns regarding privacy, security, and the potential misuse of collected data. While Google emphasizes its privacy protections and age-appropriate experiences, the inclusion of TELUS and the history of child pornography in AI training datasets raise valid questions about the implications of this project.
