‘Unmasking Surveillance’- Facial Recognition Technology In The Indian Context

Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) has rapidly emerged as a powerful tool with various applications in everyday life, ranging from security and surveillance to convenience. However, its proliferation raises significant concerns regarding individual privacy, mass surveillance, discrimination, and its impact on democratic governance. While global discussions on FRT abound, the Indian context presents unique challenges and considerations and a research gap exists.

The primary objectives of the project are twofold: to investigate and analyze the public perception of Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) in India, assess the level of awareness, usage, and understanding of associated threats; and, analyze changes in sentiment towards the use of Facial Recognition Technology after being educated about threats involved.

I picked this topic for my project since I feel strongly about the injustice this technology is capable of enabling. Poverty intersects with caste in a caste society such as India making these systems a proxy for the state’s own beliefs perpetuating a long lineage of policing caste and social locations. The state’s long-held interest in surveillance and its prejudiced constructions of criminality need to be reckoned with at a fundamental level and awareness regarding these ethical considerations could go a long way.