When face recognition doesn’t know that your face is a face
“If you don’t include people with disabilities or people with facial differences in the development of these processes, no one thinks about these issues,” says Kathleen Bogart, a psychology professor at Oregon State University who specializes in disability research and lives with facial differences. AI has exacerbated these issues, but they are rooted in long-standing underrepresentation and prejudice against people with facial differences that occurred long before AI was a thing.
Too little, too late
When facial recognition systems fail, it’s often difficult to find help — adding more pressure to a stressful situation. For months, Maryland resident Noor Al-Khalid has struggled to create an online account with the Social Security Administration. Al-Khalid, who lives with the rare craniofacial disease Ablepheron Macrostomia, says having an online account allows him to easily access SSA records and quickly submit documents to the agency.
Al-Khalid says: “I don’t drive because of my eyesight; I should be able to rely on the site. “You have to take a selfie and the photos have to match,” says Al Khaled. “Due to the face difference, I don’t know if the ID is not recognized or if it’s a selfie, but it always says the pictures don’t match.”
Not having this access makes life harder. “On an emotional level, it just makes me feel disconnected from society,” she explains. Al-Khalid says that all services should provide alternative ways for people to access online systems. “The lack of other options means that sometimes people get trapped in these labyrinths of technology systems,” says Byram of Present Moment Enterprises.
Source courtesy of WIRED
An SSA spokesperson says alternatives to facial verification are available, and it is “committed” to making its services available to everyone. It does not run facial recognition systems itself, but uses Login.gov and ID.me for verification services, according to a spokeswoman for the agency. The General Services Administration, which runs Login.gov, did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment. “Accessibility is a top priority for ID.me,” says an ID.me spokesperson.
Corey R. “Few things are more dehumanizing than a machine telling you you’re not real because of your face,” says Taylor, a New York-based actor and motivational speaker who lives with a craniofacial deformity. Last year, Taylor said, she used a financial app to access small amounts of money. While trying to complete the payment processes, he realized that the facial verification system could not match his selfie with the image on his ID. To make this system work, he had to move in different directions. “I had to literally roll my eyes up and twist my face,” Taylor says. When he emailed the company, he received what appeared to be a boilerplate response.
