‘Ban the Scan’ is a campaign launched by Amnesty International demanding that facial recognition technology (FRT) be disallowed. In the US, several cities have already banned it.In India, the campaign has been led by the Internet Freedom Foundation. The IFF has filed an RTI request asking the Hyderabad police, which is said to be using it, to reveal its database.Anushka Jain of IFF talks to Sidharth Bhatia, explaining the dangers of FRT and of surveillance in general, which she says not just discriminates against marginalised communities but intrudes into citizens’ privacy.There are no specific laws protecting privacy, though the Supreme Court deemed it a fundamental right. And what is happening in Telangana could soon spread all over India.
