Mall of America Introduces Facial Recognition Security System

The Mall of America has announced the implementation of a new facial recognition system to enhance security measures within the mall. The new system is aimed at providing an additional layer of safety following recent incidents involving fighting and shootings.

“Our system is not scanning faces to go find out who you are,” said Will Bernhjelm, Mall of America VP of security. Bernhjelm emphasized that the primary purpose of the facial recognition technology is to identify individuals of interest, such as those who have been trespassed or have been flagged as potential threats by law enforcement.

The system scans the faces of shoppers and matches them against a database of known persons of interest. If no match is found, the images are not stored.

Upon detecting a potential match, the system issues an alert that triggers further investigation. The security team then conducts a thorough verification process, including up to three layers of human visual review, to confirm the match before any action is taken. The review process ensures the accuracy of the system’s alerts and involves comparing the facial features of the individual to the POI photograph.

Despite the enhanced security, some visitors have expressed concerns about privacy and the visibility of notices regarding the new technology.

“For lawful purposes, it would probably be good, but it’s also kind of an invasion of privacy,” Earl Daigre, MOA visitor, said in an interview with ABC News

Security officials stated that while it is difficult to measure the direct impact of deterrence, the new facial recognition technology will enable them to better track and measure progress in maintaining safety within the mall.

For this implementation, Mall of America partnered with Corsight AI, leveraging a facial recognition algorithm that has been thoroughly tested by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), achieving a 99.3 percent accuracy rate in identifying individuals.

Earlier this month, Corsight AI announced that it would be supplying facial recognition technology for a security project for the 14th Battalion police force in Osasco, São Paolo, as part of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) led by Segdboa. That initiative involves establishing surveillance systems in shopping centers and parks to identify suspects and alert the Military Police for real-time threat monitoring and rapid response.

Sources: ABC News, CBS News, Mall of America

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June 27, 2024 – by Tony Bitzionis