In 2017, when we first considered creating PhotoDay, facial recognition was in its infancy. Many companies had big plans underway, but the technology wasn’t being used much in consumer applications. We weren’t sure how parents would react. Would they think facial recognition was a time saver or an invasion of their privacy?
During our research, we discovered there were a lot of security issues with a traditional picture day. For example, personal information (and sometimes sensitive payment information) was written on easily-misplaced order forms, images were linked to identity using unsecure (open) networks and data was sometimes transferred across the globe to other countries for image and data manipulation. All of this was happening without the consumer’s consent, and sometimes without the studio’s awareness.
We changed all that, making picture day a safer experience overall. Inside the world of PhotoDay, images and data are not stored together. In fact, payment information, images, and data are never all combined in one place. Images used for FaceFind are only temporarily used to create data to match. Payment information is safe, secure and verified by Stripe. Images and data only come together once an order is placed and through one of our connected lab partners. All partners have a secure firewall to protect this information.
We know some parents and customers may still have concerns. Let’s face it, the unknown can be a scary thing and facial recognition is still unknown to a lot of people. Here are 5 different ways facial recognition is currently being used among today’s consumers.
SMARTPHONES
A couple of months after PhotoDay’s release, Apple released the iPhone X. According to this report by Counterpoint, more than one billion smartphones will ship with facial recognition in 2020.
THEME PARKS
It’s the summer of 2019, and families from across the globe are traveling to theme parks for summer vacation. It’s no secret that Universal Studios and Disney have been implementing facial recognition over the past few years to help with traffic management and photo matching. This article says in 2018, Disney had over 13.1 million park visitors per month.
AIRPORTS
Both Orlando and Tampa International Airports are using facial recognition for international passengers. The U.S. government has a target goal of 20 airports using this technology before 2021. As this program expands, so will the accuracy and benefit. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, May 2019 had 77.4 million traveling passengers on US airlines.
CREDIT CARDS
Using your face to verify payment for services is right around the corner. Companies like Chase are already implementing biometric technology, and Discover has already implemented facial recognition. PINs and passwords will become a thing of the past.
VEHICLES
Imagine walking up to your vehicle and your car unlocks and adjusts the seat according to your personalized settings. Well, this recent patent filed by Apple teases this tech could be in the near future. Distracted driving is on the rise (texting and driving). We all know how annoying that seat belt alarm is when we forget to buckle. What if cars knew when to alert you when you weren’t looking at the road? This article suggests it could be coming soon, by utilizing facial recognition.
Facial recognition is no longer the technology of the future. You can assure your parents and customers that their children’s images, as well as other personal information, are always kept safe and secure with PhotoDay.
