Source 1 by Kathryn Hulick

1 You pick up your phone and stare at it. Instantly, the screen unlocks. But it won’t
do that for anyone else. The phone knows who you are. It recognizes the shape of your
face.
2 Welcome to the world of the latest iPhone. It comes with a feature called Face ID.
Apple executive Phil Schiller described it this way at the product launch: “. . . your
iPhone is locked until you look at it and it recognizes you. Nothing has ever been more
simple, natural, and effortless.”
3 Your face isn’t the only characteristic you can use as a password. Many
smartphones already accept fingerprint logins. Other security systems check the shape
of the ear, patterns in the eye, or the way a person walks. All of these characteristics,
called biometrics, are unique enough to identify someone.
4 People like using biometrics for security because they’re easy. You can’t misplace
or forget your own face. They’re also usually very secure. It’s hard to fake another
person’s body parts. But it’s not impossible.
5 And the face may be one of the easiest body parts to copy. Most teens post plenty
of selfies. These could potentially help someone hack into a system like Face ID.
6 In 2016, researchers at the University of North Carolina gathered publicly available
Facebook photos. They used them to build 3D models of faces. Then they showed
these fake faces to five different facial recognition systems. Four out of the five let the
imposter in. (Face ID wasn’t part of the test.)
7 Once a biometric password has been stolen, you can’t easily change it. You can’t
get a new face!
8 There’s one more aspect of facial recognition that worries experts. It would be easy
for someone else to hold your phone in front of your face to unlock it. . . .
9 Some people probably won’t worry about all that. It’s just too cool to be able to
unlock a device at a glance.
Source 2: As facial‑recognition technology grows, so does wariness about privacy.
by Rachel Lerman
10 As Mike Vance approaches the glass door that leads to RealNetworks’ engineering
office, he smiles slightly at a small camera mounted in front of him. Click. The
door unlocks, responding to a command from software powering the camera that
recognized Vance’s face and confirmed his identity.
11 Vance, a senior director of product management at the Seattle tech company,
leads the team that created Secure, Accurate Facial Recognition—or SAFR,
pronounced “safer.” . . .
12 It took three years, 8 million faces and more than 8 billion data points to develop
the technology, which can identify a face with near perfect accuracy. . . .
13 The introduction of the technology has thrust RealNetworks into the center of a
field that is growing quickly as software gets better at identifying faces. But growing
along with it are privacy concerns and rising calls for regulation—even from the
technology companies that are inventing the biometric software.
14 Facial‑recognition technology is already common, used in everything from photo
apps that sort pictures of people, to unlocking an iPhone, to law‑enforcement agencies
searching databases of driver’s license photos.
15 Facial recognition is used, broadly, in two ways, said Oren Etzioni, CEO of Seattle’s
Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the sister organization to Paul Allen’s brain
science institute. One is consumer convenience, such as grouping photos, and the
other is for surveillance and tracking. . . .
16 But now, as RealNetworks’ SAFR shows, the technology has been moving further
into public spaces. And with that, privacy advocates wonder if people fully realize how
often their faces are being scanned, and advocates and the industry alike question
where the line is between the benefits to the public and the cost to privacy.
Learning a face
17 Facial‑recognition technology functions much like fingerprinting—each face has
its own unique signature, and companies teach machines to recognize and match
people’s unique features.
18 RealNetworks’ technology maps 1,600 data points on each face it sees. The team
has been “training” its machine for about two years, since the launch of RealTimes,
its free app that lets people build photo slideshows. Baked into the 3,300‑word user
agreement for that app is language that allows RealNetworks to use customer photos
to train its facial‑recognition system.
19 SAFR doesn’t know the identity of people in the RealTimes photos, Vance said—
there are no names, addresses or other identifying information in the massive database
of 8 million faces. But what it can do is tell if two faces are the same person. It’s gotten
so accurate that it can tell identical twins apart and match family photos of the same
person even if they were taken decades apart. . . .
Between here and sci‑fi 20 In China, the technology is so common that it can identify people who are
jaywalking and display their photos on public digital billboards. 21 The U.S. isn’t near that level yet of routinely identifying people in public streets
or parks, said Clare Garvie, an associate at the Center on Privacy and Technology
at Georgetown Law Center, but she finds the lack of transparency into how the
technology is being used and the lack of federal laws troubling. . . . 22 But proper regulation could prevent that, and there’s reason to be optimistic,
Garvie said, pointing to Microsoft’s call for such laws.
Explain whether facial recognition technology is more beneficial or more harmful.

Write a well-organized argumentative composition that uses specific evidence from the excerpts to support your answer.

Include:
* Hook: text title, author, and brief summary.
* Bridge: make reference to prompt
* Thesis: answer prompt without giving away too much information

*Topic Sentence: introduce your reasoning (prompt answer)
*Evidence: quote/paraphrase from the text where you got your answer from
*Commentary: explain how this reasoning proves your prompt answer

*Restate Thesis: begin with the phrase “in conclusion” or “to conclude,” and statement,
*Real World: make a connection to the real world without adding a new reason to support your thesis

Source 1 by Kathryn Hulick discusses the use of facial recognition technology in smartphones, particularly the iPhone's Face ID feature. The text highlights the convenience and security of using biometrics as passwords, but also touches on the risks of potential hacking and privacy concerns. On the other hand, Source 2 by Rachel Lerman focuses on RealNetworks' SAFR technology, emphasizing its accuracy and the growing privacy concerns surrounding facial recognition technology.

Facial recognition technology can be both beneficial and harmful, depending on how it is used. While it offers convenience and enhanced security for users, there are also concerns about privacy infringement and the potential misuse of personal data.

The use of biometrics as passwords, such as facial recognition in smartphones, provides a convenient and secure way for users to unlock their devices. As mentioned in Source 1, these unique characteristics are difficult to fake, making it harder for unauthorized individuals to access personal information. However, as Source 1 also mentions, there is a risk of potential hacking through the use of publicly available photos, raising concerns about privacy and security.

RealNetworks' SAFR technology, as discussed in Source 2, has been developed with a high level of accuracy in identifying faces. This technology has the potential to benefit various industries, from law enforcement to consumer convenience. However, the collection and use of facial data for training these systems raise ethical questions about consent and the potential for misuse of personal information.

In conclusion, facial recognition technology has its benefits in terms of convenience and security, but it also poses risks in terms of privacy infringement and the potential for misuse of personal data. Proper regulation and transparency are essential to ensure that the benefits of facial recognition technology outweigh the potential harm it can cause.

You need quote to support your evidence from the text

In Source 1 by Kathryn Hulick, the text mentions the potential risk of hacking into systems like Face ID using publicly available photos. According to the text, "In 2016, researchers at the University of North Carolina gathered publicly available Facebook photos. They used them to build 3D models of faces. Then they showed these fake faces to five different facial recognition systems. Four out of the five let the imposter in" (para. 6). This quote illustrates how easily biometric passwords, such as facial recognition, can be compromised, highlighting the potential harm that facial recognition technology can pose in terms of security and privacy.

Must talk about why its beneficial not harmful

I apologize for the oversight. Let's include evidence to support the benefits of facial recognition technology in the argument.

In Source 2 by Rachel Lerman, the text discusses the accuracy and convenience of RealNetworks' SAFR technology in identifying faces. According to the text, "RealNetworks’ technology maps 1,600 data points on each face it sees... It’s gotten so accurate that it can tell identical twins apart and match family photos of the same person even if they were taken decades apart" (para. 19). This quote highlights the remarkable accuracy and capabilities of facial recognition technology, emphasizing its potential benefits in various applications, such as improving security measures and enhancing user experience.

Furthermore, Source 2 mentions the widespread use of facial recognition technology in consumer conveniences like photo apps and unlocking smartphones. The text states, "Facial‑recognition technology is already common, used in everything from photo apps that sort pictures of people, to unlocking an iPhone" (para. 14). This quote demonstrates how facial recognition technology can enhance the convenience and efficiency of everyday tasks for users, showcasing its beneficial impact on consumer technology.

Therefore, the accuracy, convenience, and wide-ranging applications of facial recognition technology, as highlighted in the text, suggest that it offers substantial benefits in improving security measures, enhancing user experience, and streamlining various processes across different industries.

In source 1, the quote should be beneficial

I apologize for the oversight. Let's include a quote from Source 1 to support the benefits of facial recognition technology in the argument.

According to Source 1 by Kathryn Hulick, the text emphasizes the ease and security of using biometric characteristics as passwords, such as facial recognition. The text states, "People like using biometrics for security because they’re easy... They’re also usually very secure" (para. 4). This quote highlights the convenience and security that biometric passwords, like facial recognition, offer to users, showcasing the beneficial aspects of facial recognition technology in enhancing security measures and simplifying authentication processes.

Furthermore, Source 1 mentions the natural and effortless experience of using Face ID on the latest iPhone. The text states, "Apple executive Phil Schiller described it this way at the product launch: '... your iPhone is locked until you look at it and it recognizes you. Nothing has ever been more simple, natural, and effortless'" (para. 2). This quote demonstrates how facial recognition technology, such as Face ID on smartphones, offers a seamless and user-friendly authentication method, enhancing the overall user experience and convenience.

Therefore, the convenience, security, and user-friendly nature of facial recognition technology, as illustrated in Source 1, underscore its significant benefits in simplifying security measures, improving user experience, and enhancing overall accessibility in various technological applications.