Taylor Swift used facial recognition software to detect stalkers at LA concert

The periphery of your Taylor Swift concert is as planned out as being the show she presents on stage. Past the traditional merchandise stands, one can find often dedicated selfie-staging points and staff distributing light-up bracelets. When Swift performed in the L . a . Rose Bowl venue on 18 May, fans could watch rehearsal clips on a special kiosk.

What they didn’t know was that your facial recognition camera inside of the structure was taking their photographs and cross-referencing photographs which has a database stored in Nashville of many Swift’s known stalkers, in accordance with a Rolling Stone report.

Mike Downing, chief security guard of Oak View Group, an advisory board for venues including Madison Square Garden and LA’s Forum, told Rolling Stone: “Everybody who glided by would stop and stare advertising, as well as the software would take effect.” Downing were being invited to witness a demonstration of the system being a guest of the company’s manufacturers.

While some have raised privacy concerns covering the ownership and storage in the images, concerts are technically private events, and Swift has no obligation to notify ticket holders they will be surveilled. The Guardian has contacted Swift’s representatives for comment.

Swift contains a quantity of known stalkers. In September, she received a restraining order against Eric Swarbrick, who were harassing her with letters threatening rape and murder since September 2016. In April, 38-year-old Julius Sandrock was arrested outside her Beverly Hills home. He was wearing a mask along with a knife in his car, and told police they had driven from Colorado to travel the singer. Swift took out a restraining order against him in May.

Also in May, Mohammed Jaffar was sentenced to six months in prison and five years’ probation having been convicted for burglary after he appeared at Swift’s Ny home half a dozen times in two months.

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The using facial recognition software is rising at public events. Ticketmaster has purchased startup Blink Identity, which aims to transfer fans through places well and combat touting. Israeli artificial intelligence company AnyVision claimed it was dealing with an undisclosed London arena to scale back bottlenecks at turnstiles.

In April, Chinese police used know-how to arrest someone attending a Jacky Cheung concert in Nanchang. The 31-year-old, who had previously been wanted for “economic crimes”, was located among viewers of 60,000 concert goers.

A recent UN report criticised the application of facial recognition by police in south Wales within a peaceful demonstration as disproportionate and unnecessary. Liberty and Big Brother Watch have backed two legal challenges against police forces in south Wales and London over their by using automated facial recognition.