Google has expressed interest in a temporary ban on facial recognition, while Microsoft is opposed to the idea of a moratorium.
With an increase in the use of facial recognition, the world’s tech giants are coming to a disagreement on how to deal with it. Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai suggested that a temporary ban may be the next step to take.
“I think it is important that governments and regulations tackle it sooner rather than later and give a framework for it,” Pichai said at a conference in Brussel, as reported by Reuters. “It can be immediate but maybe there’s a waiting period before we really think about how it’s being used … It’s up to governments to chart the course.”
Microsoft’s chief legal officer, Brad Smith, has dismissed the idea of a temporary ban on the technology.
“This is young technology. It will get better. But the only way to make it better is actually to continue developing it. And the only way to continue developing it actually is to have more people using it,” Smith told NPR.
The comments from the tech giants come as the EU is considering a five-year ban on the use of the technology in public areas. The EU says that a moratorium would allow regulators to asses the concerns regarding the technology.
The Canadian government has looked into whether facial recognition should be regulated, but has not made any solid decisions regarding the technology yet.
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