Facial recognition technology (FRT) will likely play an increasingly important role in Australia as the technology is deployed in the name of security and convenience. New South Wales has already incorporated facial recognition technology into its digital ID system, and the Federal Government’s recently passed digital ID schemes also has provisions for incorporating the technology. The technology is becoming more powerful and ubiquitous, and Australians are already encountering it in airports, retail outlets, sports arenas and other public spaces. Many smartphone owners opt to use ‘Face ID’ to unlock their devices, and relatively inexpensive security systems with facial recognition features are now being sold to homeowners. As we enter a world in which we find ourselves interacting with digital interfaces for a range of purposes, automated facial recognition technology promises to make those interactions more convenient and, hopefully, more secure.

Yet, as industry and policymakers continue to develop, implement and manage FRT across different areas of Australian society, the technology remains contested. Concerns remain over the potential misuse of the technology by public authorities and private corporations. The ability to recognise individuals automatically at a distance raises human rights issues such as the right to privacy, and the freedoms of assembly, expression and movement. As we face the transition to more widespread uses of the technology, it is important to understand the level of public awareness and concern about the technology in order to ensure that it is deployed in ways that are in accordance with Australian values and commitments. Our survey revealed a relatively low level of familiarity with the technology, its uses and the potential issues it raises, highlighting the need for more robust public education and discussion.

Based on a nationally representative public opinion survey of 2,006 Australian adults conducted in April and May 2024, this Monash University/ANU report presents a comprehensive picture of the Australian public’s current understandings, attitudes and opinions relating to the impact of FRT applications on society.

Recommendations

1. THE NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS AND DELIBERATION 
Relevant government bodies including state and federal information commissioners in combination with the schools and universities need to build public awareness of the issues raised by automated facial recognition technology.

2. GREATER TRANSPARENCY REGARDING FRT USE AND MORE THOROUGH INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
News outlets need to take the lead in pressing legislators and government agencies on the details of the role that biometrics will play in the new Digital ID scheme.

3. CLEAR GUIDELINES AND FRAMEWORKS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN INFORMATION COMMISSIONER (OAIC)
The OAIC needs to make a determination from its investigation into FRT use by several prominent retailers to act as guide for legislative reform.

4. CREATION OF COMPREHENSIVE AND FIT-FOR-PURPOSE REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS
The federal and state/territory governments must initiate a specialised task force for determining robust legislation and accountability mechanisms for governing the use of different FRT products in the public and private sector.

5. CREATION OF A NATIONAL INDEPENDENT ADVISORY PANEL COMPRISED OF EXPERTS AND CITIZENS
The federal government needs to initiate a national advisory panel to deliberate on FRT use cases, standards and legislation to inform regulatory processes and to develop ways of better engaging the public about this diverse, complex and powerful technology.

6. RIGOROUS AND TRANSPARENT TESTING OF THE TECHNOLOGY, COMBINED WITH THE PROMULGATION OF CLEAR STANDARDS FRT MUST MEET TO BE JUDGED FIT FOR PURPOSE
An independent regulatory body must be established to ensure the integrity of FRT products (both technically and operationally) and a national FRT complaints register created so that harms from FRT inaccuracies or misuse can be reported and investigated, and form the basis of research on FRT effectiveness and ethics.

7. ADDRESSING THE POTENTIAL FOR FUNCTION CREEP BY ENFORCING OPT-IN CONSENT FOR SECONDARY USES OF PERSONAL DATA
Those using FRT products must ensure that the specific ways they are being deployed are fully disclosed and justified on a national register, as well as communicated clearly to those people directly affected by the use case so that meaningful consent can be attained and concerns addressed.