São João adopts facial recognition to manage school attendance

After an in-person auction in São João let Brazilian technology companies bid for a contract to supply facial recognition technology to the public school system. PontoID, which won the $162,000 contract, began secretly rolling out the technology without informing parents or students in advance. The goal was to help track school attendance; parents would receive a text message when students arrive and leave school. In some towns, more than 80% of the population are of African descent; facial recognition is known to have a disproportionately high error rate on non-white faces. 

Article: https://peopleofcolorintech.com/general/brazils-embrace-of-facial-recognition-in-schools-is-worrying-black-communities/

Publication: People of Color in Tech

Writer: POCIT