Unveiling Silicon: Understanding the Impact of Surveillance Technology on Our Lives

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, I stumbled upon a fascinating tale about a researcher named Alphonse Bertillon. Back in the 1890s, he helped the French police who were struggling with how to track repeat offenders. They had tons of photos of arrestees, but no proper system to connect them to past crimes. Bertillon changed the game by organizing data on human biometrics.

Bertillon created a system called Bertillonage, which measured 11 parts of the body using tools like rulers and gauges. He paired these measurements with standardized photos and physical descriptions. This was revolutionary, especially since cameras were expensive and only experts could operate them. By 1893, Paris had the first official identification department, and mugshots became standard in police records worldwide.

Fast forward to the 1960s, Bertillonage laid the groundwork for facial recognition technology. However, it struggled due to a lack of data. It wasn’t until social media took off that companies had enough images to develop effective facial tracking. Facebook introduced a face recognition feature in 2010, facing backlash for using people’s photos without permission. Soon after, Apple and Google integrated facial recognition into their products.

Today, many of us welcome this technology. We love the ease of unlocking our phones with just a glance. In exchange for convenience, we willingly share our biometric data.

This growing trend has created an enormous market for biometric surveillance—valued at $148 billion in 2023 and expected to reach $234 billion by 2027. This includes video surveillance, behavior monitoring, and the use of AI to analyze vast amounts of data.

Creating Virtual Borders with Biometrics

As these systems improve, so does our anxiety. Increased surveillance at borders is a prime example. In the recent US elections, illegal immigration was a hot topic.

The US Department of Homeland Security now collaborates with RealEye, a Tel Aviv-based startup. They use software that collects data from across the internet to build a database of human faces. Their platforms can quickly vet immigrants for any history of suspicious behavior based on criminal records as well as social media activity.

Countries worldwide are adopting similar technologies. Drones equipped with advanced cameras and sensors patrol borders, identifying unauthorized crossings. These drones send data to systems that use biometrics like fingerprints and iris scans, effectively creating digital passports for everyone.

Recently, San Francisco tested an AI camera that tracks movements and alerts police to suspicious behavior. This tech is part of a broader trend where police increasingly rely on tools provided by startups.

Privacy concerns loom large with these technologies. They don’t just monitor for illegal crossings; they also keep an eye on activists. Climate activists, in particular, are finding themselves under extra scrutiny when traveling because of their views.

Ultimately, our fear of outsiders fuels this industry. Many people accept constant surveillance for the sake of security. But with these technologies still new, it remains unclear whether they truly make us safer or simply heighten our paranoia.

Shweta Taneja is an author and journalist based in the Bay Area. She explores how emerging tech and science are reshaping society. Connect with her online at @shwetawrites.