Facial recognition technology is known to facilitate many functions that people are responsible for on a daily basis. This can include unlocking a cellular device, logging into a website, and even tracking individuals who have been suspected of a crime. This quick and automated tool has made it easier for people to do the things that they enjoy while also becoming a burden to them as development does not necessarily equate to progress all of the time. According to the article Facebook to Delete Users’ Facial-Recognition Data After Privacy Complaints, Facebook decided to delete a whopping 1 billion faceprints of individuals upon receiving privacy complaints from their users. An issue that was brought up in the scandal was the ability of the software to identify who was in a picture and suggest a tag from a list of people that the individual follows. Furthermore, an issue of racial injustice has been perpetuated by some of these technologies being sold by huge companies in the market, such as Amazon, IBM, and Microsoft, which can be maliciously used to target minority populations, especially those that are prone to disproportionate incarceration. These companies should continue to assess the advantages and disadvantages of these systems as it contributes to the complex adaptive system that is the digital world.

In regards to the government, there should be an effort to implement policies that target these innovations as technology may not always be used with good intent. With the advent of “fake people” surfacing on social media, facial recognition technologies can pose a severe threat to mankind and are subject to manipulation, no matter how advanced the technology can be. This can be cited with the new “Digital Silk Road” in the Balkans of Europe, suggesting that China has large influence over the region due to it being the main manufacturer of many surveillance technologies that are capable of recording human activity while functioning under the guise of a “Smart City.” This further evidences the claim that the improvement of security and consumer functionality still requires regulation no matter how sophisticated the technology is becoming.