Politicology ENCORE: Your Face Belongs To Us — Part 1
Dec 5, 2025
Kashmir Hill, a tech reporter for The New York Times and author of *Your Face Belongs to Us*, delves into privacy and the implications of facial recognition technology. She discusses how anonymity is eroding in everyday activities and the dangers posed by companies like Clearview AI. The conversation highlights the history of facial recognition, the ethics of surveillance tools, and the unintended consequences of sharing personal data online. Hill also explores the role of platforms like Facebook in advancing this technology and the societal choices shaping our future privacy.
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Anonymity Is A Daily Public Good
- Anonymity underpins everyday acts like attending clinics, concerts, or protests without fear of identification.
- Kashmir Hill warns facial recognition threatens that routine anonymity by enabling instant identification and control.
Think Before You Post Biometric Data
- Avoid posting identifiable photos or voice recordings on public platforms if you want privacy from biometric scraping.
- Kashmir Hill urges people to reconsider what they publish because companies will collect and reuse biometric data.
How The Clearview Story Began
- Kashmir Hill discovered Clearview AI from a tipster who sent a 26-page Atlanta Police brochure describing the company as a "Google for faces."
- Her reporting revealed Clearview scraped billions of public photos and quietly sold access to police departments.
