Facial recognition: a flawless, risk-free tool in the fight against terrorism and its financing?

Do you remember that day on November 13, 2015?

Everybody remembers it, nobody has forgotten it. France suffered one of the most appalling attacks in its history, with 130 dead on stage at the Bataclan and in the streets of our beautiful capital.

On March 22, 2016, in Brussels, the sound of explosive charges echoed the French misadventure.

“The man in the hat”¹⁾Julien Balboni – March 20, 2017- “The man in the hat was donated by one of his “friends” – Le Parisien-

http://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/attentats-de-bruxelles-l-homme-au-chapeau-a-ete-donne-par-un-de-ses-amis-20-03-



2017-6777927.php-

(May 8, 2020), a member of the group of masterminds behind the Brussels attack, has been identified. The hat, however, is only a scum, for beneath its cover lies a face with specific, genetically unique features.

These facial features are now used to charge, via facial recognition. In the digital age, this innovation can be a cutting-edge tool in the fight against terrorism and its financing.

But is this technology really risk-free and flawless?

Facial recognition and the fight against terrorism

In the fight against terrorism, current software confuses no less than 80 nodal points.²⁾Bastien L. -October 23, 2019- “Facial recognition: what is it and what are the dangers?” – Big Data- https://www.lebigdata.fr/reconnaissance-faciale-tout-savoir- (May 8, 2020)

Gaps between eyes, size of mouth, ears, …so many characteristics allowing the software to answer the question “Are you who you say you are?”³⁾Thales- ” Facial recognition: 7 trends to watch for 2020
https://www.thalesgroup.com/fr/europe/france/dis/gouvernement/biometrie/reconnaissance-faciale
(May 8, 2020)

The “Big Brother is watching you” maxim⁴⁾Les Echos-November 15, 2019-“France in China’s footsteps” – https://www.lesechos.fr/tech- medias/hightech/reconnaissance-faciale-la-france-dans-les-pas-de-la-chine-1148238 – (May 8, 2020) might now be inclined to take on the challenges of this technology under a broader umbrella: “Smile, ‘Big Brother is catching you.⁵⁾Elektor Team-10 December 2013- “Big Brother is catching you”- Elektor – https://www.elektormagazine.fr/news/big-brother-is-catching-you – ( May 8, 2020)

Facial recognition has thus established itself as a solution for the security of the greatest number of people, and also in the fight against terrorism.

In the case of the Brussels attacks, the tool used by the FBI to identify Mohamed Abrini combines two technologies. Interstate Photo System, a database containing 52 million photographs of individuals in 2014.⁶⁾La Rédaction- Itespresso-September 17, 2014- “FBI refines facial recognition”- https://www.itespresso.fr/fbi-sinitie-reconnaissance-faciale-79184.html – (May 8, 2020)412 million in 2016.⁷⁾Jean-Marc De Jaeger-June 16, 2016-” The FBI has 412 million photos for its facial recognition tool”- Le Figaro Tech et Web- https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/2016/06/16/32001-20160616ARTFIG00143-le-fbi-dispose-de-412-millions-de-photos-pour-son-outil-de-reconnaissance-faciale.php – (May 8, 2020) This database is merged with the “Rap Back” program, which keeps criminal records.⁸⁾La Rédaction- Itespresso-September 17, 2014- “FBI refines facial recognition” – https://www.itespresso.fr/fbi-sinitie-reconnaissance-faciale-79184.html – (May 8, 2020)

In the United States, the “Patriot Act” signed on October 26, 2011, gives legitimacy to cyber surveillance with a single objective: “to unite and strengthen America by providing the appropriate tools to detect and counter terrorism”.⁹⁾Gaelle Inchaurraga- November 24, 2019- “Patriot Act”- Dictionnaire du renseignement- Hors Collection- Editions Perrin- 2018- pages 592 to 593-§1-Caine.info- https://www.cairn.info/dictionnaire-du-renseignement–9782262070564-page-592.htm-%20(8?contenu=article (May 8, 2020) Following Edouard Snowden’s revelations about the mass telephone surveillance enabled by Section 215, its corpus was lightened of these controversial provisions, in 2015.¹⁰⁾Gaelle Inchaurraga- November 24, 2019- “Patriot Act”- Dictionnaire du renseignement- Hors Collection- Editions Perrin- 2018- pages 592 to 593-§1-Caine.info- https://www.cairn.info/dictionnaire-du-renseignement–9782262070564-page-592.htm-%20(8?contenu=article (8 mai 2020)

In France, however, legislators seem more reserved.

The Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés ensures that everyone’s rights are respected.

On November 12, 2018, an aborted bill, introduced by Madame Deputy Marine Brenier, had in spite of everything, the ambition to allow the exploitation of video-surveillance images, by confusing the register of people on the S list with the automated fingerprint file (FAED).¹¹⁾Marine Brenier- September 27, 2017-Assemblée Nationale-n°194-Proposition de loi-
http://www.assemblee-

national.fr/dyn/15/texts/l15b0194_proposition-loi
(May 8, 2020)

France, guarantor of individual freedoms, does not seem to wish to undermine them in favor of mass surveillance. However, this assertion may soon be revoked. The Prüm Treaty of May 27, 2005, which enables the communication of information between seven European Union member states, including France, is reportedly being revised to include the exchange of facial biometric data in the fight against terrorism.¹²⁾Yannick Chatelain- March 5, 2020- “Surveillance des citoyens de l’UE : l’inquiétant projet d’un traité ” Prüm ” nouvelle génération” – Counterpoints – https://www.contrepoints.org/2020/03/05/365744-surveillance-des-citoyens-de-lue-linquietant-projet-dun-traite-prum-nouvelle-generation
–
(May 8, 2020) To be continued….

These constitutional principles do not prevent global innovation.

In Japan, a company has developed a program that can identify one in 36 million people in one second.¹³⁾Philippe Richard-3 aout 2017-“Facial recognition looks for the right profile”- Techniques de l’ingénieur – L’actu de l’innovation –
https://www.techniques-ingenieur.fr/actualite/articles/la-reconnaissance-faciale-cherche-le-bon-profil-45412 –

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May 2020)

Other processes go even further. In this respect, Israeli software can detect potential terrorists and anticipate attacks through facial profiling.

It would seem that there is cause and effect. 15 secretly-guarded criteria are used to evaluate facial features and categorize them according to specific characteristics (terrorists, poker players…). Our personality is determined by our DNA and is reflected in our face. It’s a type of signal.¹⁴⁾Noga Bar-Noye – May 29, 2016-“Terrorism or criminal: new facial profiling software”- Alliance –
http://www1.alliancefr.com/actualites/terroriste-ou-criminel-un-nouveau-logiciel-de-profilage-facial-6039683
– (8
May 2020) For example, the software identified nine of the eleven masterminds of the Paris attack, unknown to any database, as potential genetic terrorists.¹⁵⁾Noga Bar-Noye- May 29, 2016- “Terrorism or criminal: new facial profiling software” – Alliance – http://www1.alliancefr.com/actualites/terroriste-ou-criminel-un-nouveau-logiciel-de-profilage-facial-6039683 – (May 8, 2020)

The start-up claims 80% conclusive results.

But wouldn’t this violate the principle of presumption of innocence?

Cesare Beccaria said: “Justice must respect everyone’s right to be believed innocent”¹⁶⁾Collin de Plancy- “Cesare Baccaria-Des délits et des peines” – Éditions du Boucher- 2002- p26-§6- http://www.leboucher.com/pdf/beccaria/beccaria.pdf (May 8, 2020)

Other innovations seem to go against the grain of anti-terrorism procedures.

In Russia, a computer scientist has succeeded in thwarting the facial recognition system with an algorithm that generates facial make-up in the form of stripes affixed to nodal points, making it impossible to identify individuals.¹⁷⁾Nathalie Kleczinski-July 9, 2019-“They invent makeup that fools facial recognition software” –
Neozone- https://www.neozone.org/innovation/ils-inventent-des-maquillages-qui-trompent-les-logiciels-de-reconnaissance-faciale

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May 2020)

While the French legislative arsenal does not seem inclined to shatter a number of constitutional principles, the fight against terrorism will undoubtedly be waged at source, by detecting financial transactions likely to contribute to its financing.

Facial recognition in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.

Innovations in the fight against the financing of terrorism and money laundering are not to be outdone.

Some companies specialize in biometric identification.

A library of images, grouping together “sensitive” individuals, used by a facial recognition system, improves identification of at-risk customers and reduces the false positive rate.¹⁸⁾

https://www.facepoint.co

and Facepoint- ” Facepoint Joins NVIDIA Inception Program-June 07 2018-

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/facepoint-joins-nvidia-inception-program-684812531.html

– (8
May 2020)

Alongside this process, other innovations enable secure transactions to be carried out and bank accounts to be opened remotely, using facial biometric authentication. To guarantee compliance with regulatory standards and identification procedures, the ID document supplied with the file is scanned and analyzed instantly by the software. These documents are mistaken for a selfie sent by the customer. A further check is then carried out by videoconference with a bank advisor. The system has been authorized by the Cnil on condition that none of this data is retained. ¹⁹⁾Sharon Wajsbrot-February 15, 2018-“Société Générale va ou un compte grace à la biométrie faciale”- Les Echos–
https://www.lesechos.fr/2018/02/societe-generale-va-ouvrir-des-comptes-grace-a-la-biometrie-faciale-984551 –
( May 8, 2020) This would seem to be the perfect answer to the adage: “I only believe what I see. ²⁰⁾Philip K-Dick-“I only believe what I see I only believe what I see”: can we stick to this principle? “February 28, 2006- https://www.philo52.com/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=241 – (May 8, 2020

But reality can be subjective, and appearances can be deceptive…

In this respect, aren’t Deepfake masks a new threat to facial recognition?

This process enables the manipulation of photographic and video images, and the superimposition of voices.

In China, an application offers the possibility of replacing one face with another, be it

on a photograph or in a video.²¹⁾L’Obs avec AFP- September 4, 2019-“Zao, l’application qui met le ” deepfake ” à la portée de tous”- L’OBS-https://www.nouvelobs.com/monde/20190904.OBS17972/zao-l-application-qui-met-le-deepfake-a-la-portee-de-tous.html (May 8, 2020) This mechanism was notably used in a “president fraud” scam. By appropriating the voice of a multinational CEO, a “Deepfake” scammer managed to mislead the firm’s employees and embezzled 220,000 euros.²²⁾L.Adam- September 3, 2019- “Deppfake: the scam boosted by neural networks”- ZDNet- https://www.zdnet.fr/actualites/deepfake-l-arnaque-boostee-aux-reseaux-neuronaux-39889969.htm (May 8, 2020)

In its current state, facial recognition may reasonably presage a number of developments that will be interesting to observe and analyze.