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Digital Planet: Calls for facial recognition tech ban on Brazilian metro

Factual: Science & Nature

sao-paulo-CROP.jpg

16/03/2022 GMT

Calls for facial recognition tech ban on Brazilian metro

BBC World Service - Digital Planet, Calls for facial recognition tech ban on Brazilian metro

Civil rights groups file a lawsuit to suspend use of facial recognition in the metro

Brazilian civil rights groups file a lawsuit to suspend use of facial recognition in the metro  Also, how to spot disinformation in wartime and biodegradable end edible robotics.

A number of Brazilian civil rights organisations have filed a civil lawsuit against a company operating the São Paulo metro and their use of facial recognition technology.  They are calling for an immediate suspension of the technology as well as compensation for moral damages to the rights of passengers, however the company denies they are using the technology for facial recognition.

How to spot disinformation in wartime
Have you seen the video on TikTok of a Russian paratrooper recording himself while jumping out of a plane as part of the invasion of Ukraine? Well it is not that at all – it is actually from 2015. But how can you check images and videos that pop up in your social media feeds? Reverse image search it on Google to see where else it has been posted, says Dr Shelby Grossman from the Stanford Internet Institute.  She tells Gareth a whole host of tips to help tell the difference between what is fake and what is real online about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Biodegradable soft robotics
Soft robots are seen by many scientists as the future of human-robot interaction, but one setback is that the more malleable material needs replacing as it wears out quicker than rigid material more often associated with robots.  Now a team of scientists has developed a translucent soft and tactile robotic finger, and it’s biodegradable.  Looking for inspiration in the kitchen the team developed this biogel from gelatine by modifying a 3D printer.  The material is in fact edible – which will make future soft robotics safe for young children. One of the authors, Professor Martin Kaltenbrunner from the Institute of Experiment Physics at Linz University, tells Gareth why the team was keen to make machines out of biodegradable material. 

Presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Angelica Mari.

Studio Manager: Giles Aspen
Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz

(Photo: People moving and traveling inside of the Metro subway system in Sao Paulo Brazil. Credit: Adam Hester/Getty Images)

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