From the face scanner that will check in some attendees to the cameras-everywhere array of digital products, the CES gadget show is all-in on surveillance technology B次元官网网址� whether it calls it that or not.
Nestled in the B次元官网网址渟mart homeB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渟mart cityB次元官网网址� showrooms at the sprawling Las Vegas consumer tech conference are devices that see, hear and track the people they encounter. Some of them also analyze their looks and behaviour. The technology on display includes eyelid-tracking car dashboard cameras to prevent distracted driving and B次元官网网址渞apid DNAB次元官网网址� kits for identifying a person from a cheek swab sample.
All these talking speakers, doorbell cameras and fitness trackers come with the promise of making life easier or more fun, but theyB次元官网网址檙e also potentially powerful spying tools. And the skeptics who raise privacy and security concerns can be easily drowned out in the flashy spectacle of gee-whiz technology.
B次元官网网址淢any, many horrible stories have come out of consumer electronics,B次元官网网址� said Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who is speaking on a panel about the future of internet-connected devices. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 often about hyping the next thing you can buy and not considering the trade-offs.B次元官网网址�
The event runs Tuesday to Friday after two days of media previews. The annual showcase is where big companies and startups unveil and promote their latest gadgets, many of them infused with microphones, cameras and artificial intelligence. Though weighted toward the consumer market, much of whatB次元官网网址檚 on display may also be useful to law enforcement, not to mention prying employers or heavy-handed governments.
Marcus Yang, CEO of the camera startup Amaryllo, said heB次元官网网址檚 had a difficult time persuading customers to pay more for safeguards such as faster processors to enable end-to-end encryption, when an array of cheaper, but less secure options are available.
Attendees B次元官网网址渨ant to see technology and something fresh,B次元官网网址� Yang said. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e only interested in looking at your cameras and what kind of features they have.B次元官网网址�
Amaryllo cameras will start recording a 10-second clip when it senses movement! Did you capture something cool on your Amaryllo camera? Upload your clips to social media and tag us or email us your clips!
B次元官网网址� Amaryllo Inc. (@AmarylloInc)
Yang said heB次元官网网址檚 hopeful that B次元官网网址渟omething is changing this yearB次元官网网址� after a series of privacy scandals and security breaches has brought attention to the dangers of unfettered surveillance technology. And eventually, he said, regulators are likely to step in with security requirements.
AmazonB次元官网网址檚 security camera division Ring, which is setting up a B次元官网网址淩ing HouseB次元官网网址� to show off its home devices, has recently had to defend its safety practices following reports of hackers breaking into Ring camera systems and harassing children. ItB次元官网网址檚 also faced criticism from privacy advocates and U.S. lawmakers over its growing partnerships with police.
When Gentille noticed that something was slowly tearing away at the outdoor patio furniture, she decided to install another Ring Floodlight Cam to cover this section of the yard. She used the Ring app to find the culprit.
B次元官网网址� Ring (@ring)
Ring competitor Wyze Labs, an honoree at this yearB次元官网网址檚 innovation awards, announced a data breach just after Christmas affecting 2.4 million customers. And widely used voice assistants made by Google, Amazon and Apple all came under scrutiny in 2019 for data retention practices that allowed employees and contractors to listen to usersB次元官网网址� audio recordings.
ThereB次元官网网址檚 been some push back, at least on facial recognition and other surveillance technology from China. Hikvision and iFlytek, two Chinese tech companies that showed off their artificial intelligence at CES 2019, now face U.S. export restrictions because the Trump administration says the technology has been used in the repression of ChinaB次元官网网址檚 Muslims.
But China isnB次元官网网址檛 the only place where the lines have blurred between consumer technology and government surveillance operations. Watchful residents of American neighbourhoods are increasingly encouraged by Ring to share their doorbell video footage with police detectives. And device-makers are counting on consumers buying into ever-more elaborate forms of computer vision and other AI technology to give them peace of mind.
Camera-maker Arlo this week launched its first wireless floodlight camera, with night vision, a siren, two-way audio to converse with intruders and an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust its brightness. Another company, Sunflower Labs, is using CES to show off its B次元官网网址渉ome drone securityB次元官网网址� system. If trespassers step onto your lawn, a camera-equipped drone flies out from its resting place to take a look at them and streams the live video to your phone.
Sound like something that might guard the lair of a James Bond villain? CEO Alex Pachikov says itB次元官网网址檚 actually less intrusive to neighbours than your run-of-the-mill doorbell camera, because itB次元官网网址檚 only looking down at your own property.
Arlo security means no more losing sleep over bumps in the night.
B次元官网网址� Arlo Smart Home (@ArloSmartHome)
READ MORE:
RELATED:
The Associated Press
Like us on and follow us on
