Survey shows significant support for facial recognition, trust in feds to use it

A new survey by Zogby Analytics shows growing support for the use of facial recognition in the United States.

Commissioned by MorphoTrust USA, the new survey touched on topics including fake IDs, the Boston Marathon bombing, social media and document issuance and measured support for facial recognition in these circumstances.

Of the 1,000 American adults surveyed, a majority supported facial recognition for crime investigation, drivers’ license applications and in lieu of a password to secure personal electronic devices or social media.

Specifically, support for the use of facial recognition for investigating criminal activity was high with 83% of respondents in favor, and as well for drivers’ license applications, showing 78% of respondents to be supportive. In regards to securing electronic devices or social media however, enthusiasm decreases, with only 54% of respondents showing support.

33% of respondents said they trust the federal government to use facial recognition the most responsibly, 20% said they trust state governments the most, 8% said they trusted businesses and corporations, 7% said they trust social media and 32% were unsure.

Respondents also answered questions related to background checks with fingerprint identity verification and stronger ID requirements for people working with sensitive populations. The vast majority — 87% — of respondents said they support the stronger ID requirements, including 58% who strongly support such measures.

Reported previously, MorphoTrust has recently published an infographic outlining how facial recognition is used by law enforcement communities.

Separate published findings have also indicated that the global facial recognition market is also set to grow significantly. According to the report, Facial Recognition Market: Global Advancements, Emerging Applications, Business Models and Worldwide Market Forecast and Analysis (2013-2018), the global facial recognition market is estimated to grow from $1.92 billion in 2013 to $6.5 billion in 2018, at a whopping CAGR of 27.7%

 

Article Topics

authentication  |  facial recognition  |  government  |  law enforcement  |  MorphoTrust USA  |  research  |  verification