The Need for Privacy Protection in Computer Vision Applications

Privacy is a non-negotiable right

Data privacy is a fundamental human right that should be protected at all costs to preserve the individual's right to privacy and freedom of expression. This right is enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which states that "everyone has the right to privacy, including the right to protection against unauthorized interference with his private life."

In recent years, there has been a growing concern about the erosion of this right as technology advances and corporations become increasingly aggressive in their efforts to collect and monetize personal data. As we have seen in recent years, even large corporations have been caught collecting data on their users without their consent or knowledge and using that data for targeted advertising or other purposes. In some cases, these companies have shared user data with third-party organizations without any checks and balances, which then used that data for unauthorized and in many cases unethical uses.

It is extremely difficult to monitor and screen every piece of customer data being used internally or shared with external agencies at scale. And as a result, providing data privacy guarantees is close to impossible today. The field of privacy-preserving technologies is an active area of research, and the tools are not easily available to all organizations for commercial use cases.

There's no doubt that computer vision (CV) technology is one of the most important technological revolutions of our lifetime. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, computer vision technology is transforming the way we interact with the world around us. From helping us to navigate safely through unfamiliar environments to providing early detection of disease, computer vision is changing lives for the better. And as the technology continues to evolve, we can only imagine the impact it will have in the years to come.

As we enter a new decade, computer vision is leading the way toward a brighter future for us all. But when it comes to data privacy, computer vision applications require special attention because all that a motivated entity needs is a simple, ubiquitous video camera that they can place in public locations to capture images of people without their approval. The motivated entity can then correlate the captured images with public or pay-to-access databases to uniquely identify the people in images (and thereby breach their privacy) and use that information for their selfish interests, all the person’s consent or knowledge. Indeed this eye-opening article in New York Times shows how easy it is to combine data from open camera streams and publicly accessible datasets to uniquely identify an individual.

Current controls are insufficient to protect privacy

In recent years, the problem of data leakage has become increasingly prevalent. As more and more companies collect and store sensitive personal information, the risk of this information falling into the wrong hands grows. Image data is particularly vulnerable to leakage, as it can be easily copied and circulated without the subject's knowledge or consent. Once leaked, image data can be used for a variety of nefarious purposes, including impersonation, fraud, and the creation of deep fakes. This can lead to serious financial and legal consequences for victims, as well as damage to their reputations.

In some cases, such as with victims of abuse, the leak of image data can even put their safety at risk. Breach of personal information can lead to identity theft making it difficult for an individual to get loans or credit and utilize the financial system to better their lives. The potential impact of image data leakage is therefore significant, and it is vital that steps are taken to protect this sensitive information.

Data privacy has become a major issue in the wake of high-profile breaches like the one suffered by Cambridge Analytica. In response, many companies have tightened their data security protocols and implemented new regulations designed to protect user information. However, these solutions are not effective in preventing data breaches. One reason is that they rely heavily on humans to follow complex regulatory protocols, and human error is often the cause of data leaks. In addition, different interpretations of the regulations can lead to confusion and inconsistency in how data is protected. FTC penalties for data breaches are often insufficient to deter companies from taking risks with user information. As a result, data privacy remains a major concern despite the current crop of solutions.

We need a new class of technology-powered tools, solutions, and processes

Given the potential risks associated with computer vision, it’s clear that enterprises need to be proactive in protecting user privacy. One of the most effective ways to protect privacy in CV use cases is to automatically blur faces in images before they are processed by the application. This would help to protect the anonymity of individuals captured in the images. In addition, organizations should send proactive notifications to users to inform them when their data is being processed and what is being retained.

This helps in two ways:

1. being more transparent with customers and thereby building customer trust and loyalty,

2. setting and maintaining a high bar for privacy for internal teams and divisions.

Users should also be able to request data deletion easily, and there should be audit trails to track who accesses the data. Privacy-focused organizations can further increase transparency by recording their application’s use of personal data on a distributed ledger that would allow individuals to easily see what data is being collected about them and how it is being used. Finally, running CV workloads on edge devices will ensure customers’ data never leaves their devices and ultimately protect their privacy.

Smart Enterprises see Privacy as an opportunity instead of an obstacle

Inculcating customer privacy protection into an organization’s DNA will reap huge economic benefits in the short as well as long term. Privacy-focused businesses can command higher prices for their products and services, as customers are willing to pay a premium for peace of mind. Moreover, privacy can bolster brand value and customer loyalty, as customers are likely to stick with businesses that they trust to protect their personal information.

With so much to gain, it's no wonder that privacy is becoming an increasingly important concern for enterprises of all sizes. Indeed, recent surveys have shown that Gen Z cares about privacy and wants to do business with companies that share their values and are non-willing to engage with brands that don’t have top-notch data privacy and security infrastructure in place.

It is no secret that Apple has been doubling down on Privacy as a business advantage and has used it to create a substantial strategic moat around its business and product ecosystem. As enterprises wake up to the importance of privacy, those that embrace it as a strategic differentiator will be well-positioned to succeed in the years to come.