Google paying $50 to parents to collect kids face video, claims Report

Google’s subsidiary tech company TELUS International is reportedly paying $50 to parents to collect their children/kids’ face data including eye colour, skin colour, eyelid shape, and others.
According to a report by 404 Media, the video of the children’s faces will be used for a project about facial recognition technology. The project is reportedly going on from November 2023 to January 2024 collecting the data mainly for age verification purposes.

However, the project has raised concerns about children’s privacy and consent.

Why is Google collecting Kids data?

Telus is reportedly collecting facial data of children to capture a broad cross-section of participants targeting various combinations of demographics. It will ensure that the product will work for a diverse set of end-users.

It adds that the use case of these videos will be to “help improve the authentication methods, thus offering more secure tools for the end users.” According to the report, the data that is being collected is about Facial geometry including Eyelid shape. Skin tone. Video recording (without voice).

Meanwhile, experts and advocates have raised concerns about this process. They said that Google should not be collecting data on children without their explicit consent. They also added that the company should be more transparent about how it is using the data it collects.

However, Google has clarified that they are trying to develop a responsible and ethical facial recognition technology with utmost commitment. They are exploring ways to help users verify their age and to comply with laws and regulations around the world.

The company said that it collected images and videos of the volunteers after clearly explaining how the content would be used. They collected the minors, who are aged under 18, data after getting their parents’ consent.

Moreover, there are privacy restraints in place. The data will stored for a limited period and the participants can also delete the data anytime they want.
What Google has to say
Google has defended the project, saying that it is committed to developing facial recognition technology that is “responsible and ethical.” The company has also said that it is working on ways to make its technology more transparent and accountable.

Quoting a Google spokesperson, the report stated, “As part of our commitment to delivering age-appropriate experiences and to comply with laws and regulations around the world, we’re exploring ways to help our users verify their age. Last year, Telus helped us find volunteers for a project exploring whether this could be done via selfies.”

“From there, Google collected videos and images of faces, clearly explaining how the content will be used and, as with all research involving minors, we required parental consent for participants under the age of 18. We’ve also put strict privacy protections in place, including limiting the amount of time the data will be retained and providing all participants the option to delete their data at any time,” the spokesperson added.

Facial recognition technology is still in its early stages of development and needs refinement as it can be fooled by things like makeup and changes in lighting.

(Source: Times Of India)

Also Read: Google Layoffs: 30,000 More Employees Might Lose Their Jobs: Report