GS4 · UPSC Mains

In a metropolitan city of India, the law enforcement authorities decided to adopt facial recognition technology to improve their crime-fighting capabilities. They implemented a facial recognition system that integrated with existing surveillance cameras across the city, allowing real-time identification and tracking of individuals. The system was intended to assist in identifying known criminals, missing persons, and suspects in ongoing investigations. One evening, a woman reported a mugging incident where the perpetrator wore a hoodie, obscuring most of his face. The victim provided a vague description to the police, and based on that information, the authorities decided to use facial recognition technology to locate potential suspects. The system scanned through hours of surveillance footage from various locations near the crime scene. The facial recognition algorithm generated a list of potential matches, and one individual's image stood out as a close match to the description provided by the victim. The police considered this individual a prime suspect and proceeded with his arrest. Subsequently, it was discovered that the arrested person was innocent. Further investigation revealed that the facial recognition system had misidentified the innocent individual due to the limitations of the technology and the partial description provided by the victim. The police released the arrested individual; still his reputation got tarnished for life. He, along with his family, was evicted from their current place of residence. The psychological impact of the incident has been tremendous owing to which his job is also on the line. With reference to this case study, answer the following: (a) What are the issues involved in this case? (b) What measures can be taken to minimize the negative implications of adopting such technologies? (Answer in 250 words)

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