Photo: Trismegist san / Shutterstock.com
Israel’s facial recognition program, previously undisclosed and initiated in Gaza late last year, is operated by Israel’s military intelligence unit, Unit 8200, and relies on technology from Corsight, a private Israeli company, along with Google Photos.
Its initial purpose was to locate the Israelis kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 raid last year. However, the technology later expanded to target individuals with alleged ties to Hamas or other militant factions.
After the initial fog of war was over, the Israeli military is now using facial recognition technology to target Palestinians in Gaza, as reported by The New York Times, citing people who are concerned about the misuse of the technology.
On November 19, 2023, the Israelis detained a Palestinian poet named Mosab Abu Toha while he was with his three-year-old son. The military officials then scanned his face and matched it with the country’s wanted list. Despite asserting that he had no ties to militant groups like Hamas and was attempting to leave for Gaza for Egypt, Abu Toha was detained based on the program’s identification.
Critics have raised concerns about the potential for misidentifying civilians as militants, leading to wrongful detentions and privacy infringements. Amnesty International researcher Matt Mahmoudi warned of the risk of dehumanisation of the Palestinians.
The technology is still in the nascent phase and can sometimes make mistakes between the members of Hamas and the residents of Gaza.
While Israel has previously used facial recognition in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, known as the Blue Wolf, the deployment of the tech in Gaza represents a significant expansion of surveillance capabilities. Other than the checkpoints where the cameras are installed, Israeli soldiers also use smartphones to take photos and upload them to the database.
However, the photos were grainy and obscured and were not useful to Unit 8200. Here, Google Photos comes into the picture. The soldiers upload the photos on Google Photos and then use the photo search tool to identify people.
Even in the case of Abu Toha, the Israelis later told the journalists that it was a case of mistaken identity. However, this mistaken identity can cause a lifetime of trauma to a child and family.
Israeli officials say Google Photos’ ability to identify people even if little bits of their face are visible is quite superior. However, a Google spokesperson explained to The New York Times that the product is free to use and “does not provide identities for unknown people in photographs.”
The case of Mosab Abu Toha underscores the potential consequences of relying on algorithmic assessments in conflict zones. In these zones, individuals may be targeted based on facial recognition without substantial evidence.
The Israeli military, while emphasising its commitment to necessary security measures, has not explicitly commented on the Gaza operation.
Several countries are increasingly encroaching on citizens’ rights, while civil society debates citizens’ rights and national security. With the increasing developments in AI, the problem will grow manifold, with no permanent solutions in sight.
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