The Verge:

As first revealed by ZDNet and Android Police, Google employees have been roving the streets of American cities, offering $5 gift certificates in exchange for a facial scan. Reached by The Verge, Google confirmed that it has been conducting what it calls “field research” to collect face-scanning data in order to improve its algorithms and thereby improve the Pixel 4’s accuracy.

Google, in an email to The Verge:

Our goal is to build the feature with robust security and performance. We’re also building it with inclusiveness in mind, so as many people as possible can benefit.

And:

Google is collecting infrared, color, and depth data from each face along with time, ambient light level, and some related “task” information like picking up the phone from the table. The company initially collected location information as well, but it tells me it doesn’t need that info, so it will cease collecting it and will delete it.

I get the goal here, to improve the accuracy of facial recognition, help tune out any bias. But can’t help but feel we are helping build the master facial recognition database of the future.

That line between being getting better at recognizing faces and offering public facial scanning and recognition is privacy. Two opposing forces, one wanting to pick you out of a crowd for use in security and advertising, and one wanting to preserve true anonymity.