ED Facial recognition: Burning the house to kill bedbugs
A smartphone shop in Seoul is seen in this photo taken on Dec. 23, when a facial recognition identification step was introduced as a policy for activating new smartphones. Yonhap
Gov't should rethink introduction of biometric authentication tech
“Burning down the house to get rid of bedbugs.”
This Korean saying — similar to the English-language idiom, “Cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face” — warns of the danger of suffering a great loss because of foolish actions taken without recognizing their inherent risks.
The Korean government appears to have illustrated this very folly by launching a test run of a new facial recognition technology policy for smartphone users. Starting Dec. 23, telecommunications companies have been required to photograph customers and compare those images with the photos on their identification cards before activating new smartphones.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said the facial recognition system will be officially introduced on March 23 next year, following a three-month test period. According to the ministry, the policy is part of law enforcement efforts to combat crime. Burner phones or prepaid disposable phones are commonly used by criminals because they are difficult to trace, and facial recognition is expected to help curb their misuse.
However, the decision has sparked controversy, as facial recognition technology carries serious cybersecurity risks. The system works by analyzing individuals’ unique facial features and comparing them with images stored in a database. While the technology is often described as convenient, fast and secure, it is not without vulnerabilities. Like any other digital database, facial data can be breached. If compromised, people’s identities could be exposed and used maliciously.
This has raised the alarm in an era when banks and online platforms are increasingly relying on biometric data for authentication. The stakes are particularly high because, unlike passwords, biometric information cannot be changed once leaked.
Concerns over these risks have led to public opposition. An online petition calling for a ban on the use of facial recognition technology was posted on the National Assembly’s petition website on Dec. 18, just days before the test program began. As of Monday afternoon, more than 52,000 people had signed it. The petitioner argued that the science ministry’s plan threatens citizens’ right to self-determination over their personal data and undermines privacy, calling for the plan to be scrapped.
In response to the backlash, the science ministry pledged to ensure the safe handling of personal data. During a policy briefing on Dec. 24, the ministry said facial images collected during the verification process would be deleted immediately after being used to confirm whether they match their ID photos. Only the verification result — whether the images matched or not — would be stored in the database, it said.
Despite the ministry’s explanation, concerns continue to grow.
The problems surrounding the science ministry’s decision are twofold.
First, the ministry failed to sufficiently gather public opinion or assess the potential for collateral damage before introducing the technology. Public support is essential when pushing through such a drastic measure. The ministry should have held public hearings or created other platforms through which citizens could express their views and concerns and help build a social consensus. At the same time, it should have consulted experts to determine whether the technology was safe to deploy. Unfortunately, this process was largely skipped.
Second, the ministry’s decision reveals a troubling lack of digital literacy. New technologies, including facial recognition, are inherently vulnerable to compromise. Korea is already one of the most frequently targeted countries by cyberattacks. In the recent SK Telecom breach, the personal data of some 27 million people was reportedly exposed. Credit card companies, universities and hospitals — indeed, nearly all public and private institutions — have experienced cybersecurity incidents.
According to Rep. Han Byung-do of the Democratic Party of Korea, the nation’s e-government infrastructure has been subjected to approximately 550,100 cyberattacks over the past four years. This translates to a government network being attacked every four minutes and 30 seconds. Given the country’s extensive IT infrastructure, this is hardly surprising. Ironically, technological advancement has also made Korea more vulnerable to cyberthreats. The risks are even greater in the age of artificial intelligence, as AI-enabled cyberweapons allow attackers to infiltrate systems with increasing ease.
In light of these realities, the science ministry should reconsider its plan to officially introduce facial recognition technology for smartphone users. Once implemented, the system would likely do more to facilitate large-scale personal data theft than to enhance public safety. It’s time to consider whether combating crime is worth risking another personal data disaster.