Taylor Swift used facial recognition at a concert to detect stalkers

While facial recognition is increasingly being used by authorities to keep track of wrongdoers, entertainers have employed the tech as well – to keep track of stalkers.

As per Rolling Stone, at Taylor Swift’s Rose Bowl concert in May, a kiosk was set up where it was playing clips of the pop star’s rehearsal.

Little did concertgoers know was that a camera was hiding behind the kiosk’s screen, where a facial recognition camera was snapping photos and transferring them to a Nashville-based “command post.”

The images were then checked with a database of the singer’s known list of stalkers, which numbers in the hundreds.

“Everybody who went by would stop and stare at it, and the software would start working,” Mike Downing, chief security officer of Oak View Group, told the publication. Downing was there to view the technology in action, as a guest of the company which makes the kiosks.

Although a clever use of the technology, it’s still pretty creepy. It also raises questions about whether the images would be stored, or how they would be used in future. 

But it’s understandable why Swift and her team have gone to such great lengths to keep her most problematic fans in check. 

Last week, a fan who broke into her home, showered, and slept in her bed took a plea deal and will serve six months in prison. In September, Swift sought a restraining order against another fan who had sent death threats.