Facial Recognition in Law Enforcement

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>This chapter discusses the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) by law enforcement with a special focus on machine learning applications. First, FRT is situated in the larger context of the rise of video surveillance and a shift in Western security culture. The chapter shows how the promise of FRT addresses the problems of video surveillance. Then, it explains how FRT works and how machine learning techniques such as eigenface and convolutional neural networks come into play. Afterward, it explains how the accuracy and effectiveness of FRT are evaluated and why it is important to take the interplay of human operators and FRT systems into account. Finally, several controversies around the police use of FRT are presented and the limits of technological solutions to the problem of bias are demonstrated.</jats:p>