Live Nation, parent company of TicketMaster, has just announced that they will be integrating facial recognition technology at events. The company says that eventually the technology would enable concertgoers to do away with tickets entirely. But you have to admit, it’s kind of creepy.
According to Blink Identity, the technology company Live Nation is partnering with, attendees would not even have to stop to get their face scanned instead of a ticket. Instead, they would merely walk through the gate, without slowing down or stopping to look into the camera.
Blink describes the technology:
The Blink Identity security gateway allows venue or festival management to identify people using facial biometrics as they walk at full speed past our sensor, handling over 60 people a minute. Snap, ID, admit.
Once inside, concertgoers can use their face – literally – to buy drinks, swag, enter VIP areas, and more. It’s also possible to collect usable and sharable data on each person that walks through our biometric entry gateway.
We will continue investing in new technologies to further differentiate Ticketmaster from others in the ticketing business. It is very notable that today we announce our partnership with, and investment in, Blink Identity which has cutting-edge facial recognition technology, enabling you to associate your digital ticket with your image, then just walk into the show.
However convenient it may sound, there are concerns that the technology could be employed for other, Big Brother-esque purposes. Similar technology is currently being used in China at music venues and metro stations to catch criminals, and Blink’s website itself states that they developed the technology for use by the Department of Defense in the Middle East.
What do you think? Is the technology an invasion of privacy?