BitCenter UK facial recognition app puts CCTV capability on mobile phones

BitCenter UK has developed a facial recognition mobile app, FarFaces, that it says provides the capabilities of a biometric CCTV system on a smartphone.

According to the company, the new biometrics tool could be used for passenger and border control, as well as access control for workers, in places where no CCTV or internet coverage is available.

Technically speaking, the algorithms behind FarFaces App can reportedly perform face detection and facial recognition on images collected at a distance of up to 15 meters.

Because the facial recognition technology is based on mobile architecture, the software eliminates the need for expensive equipment installations, thus facilitating deployment, the company says.

It also is compliant with GDPR, with BitCenter UK confirming FarFaces deletes the images of faces detected and recognized (in the RAM of the mobile device). The app supposedly does so even before it has compared the subject’s facial data against the enrolled template. As a result, images are never transmitted over a network or stored in the system in any way, keeping biometric data safe from theft during a transition, according to the announcement.

To provide extra privacy features, BitCenter UK also introduced a specific feature that instantly blurs faces of users who do not consent to be recognised.

The FarFaces app is currently undergoing testing, with BitCenter UK offering demos to interested companies and individuals via its website.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  BitCenter UK  |  cctv  |  data protection  |  face detection  |  facial recognition  |  mobile app  |  privacy  |  smartphones