Feds to test facial recognition software on hockey fans in Kennewick
(Illustration: BBC)
RICHLAND -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will test facial recognition technology software on hockey fans at a game at the Toyota Center in Kennewick on Saturday, the Tri-Cities Herald reported.
Video at the season opener of the Tri-City Americans will be taped by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which said state-of-the-art facial recognition technologies could be used to identify terrorists and criminals in public areas in the future.
PNNL previously has collected video at the Toyota Center for work with the Department of Homeland Security. But past video either has not captured members of the public or has been too low resolution to identify faces, the Tri-City Herald said.
Hockey fans who don’t want to be on the video will be given options to avoid the cameras.
No video will be shot in the arena and signs will be set up in the corridors around the arena to direct people to areas without cameras.