Facial recognition pulled from police
Tech Life
BBC
4.3 • 227 Ratings
🗓️ 12 June 2020
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
IBM, Amazon, and Microsoft stop providing controversial facial recognition tools for law enforcement. Do they need to go further and bin the technology for other customers? Plus, how young activists are using the latest online techniques to amplify the Black Lives Matter message. And, what’s the oldest gadget you have lying around your house, and do you still use it? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill.
(Image: Stock photo representing a facial recognition algorithm scanning an African man’s face. The tech is known to be less accurate when used to scan faces with darker skin, leading to the possibility of discrimination. Credit: Getty Images).
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hello, you're about to listen to a BBC podcast, so I'd like to tell you where you'll find more just like it. |
| 0:05.6 | I'm Izzy Lee Poulton, an assistant commissioner for BBC Sounds, which means I'm involved in the whole podcast making process. |
| 0:12.2 | Whether that's developing fresh formats or facilitating eye-catching artwork, I helped project manage all the details that make our podcast stand out. |
| 0:19.7 | At the BBC, we've got access to storytellers |
| 0:21.9 | and experts across a huge range of subjects. It could be psychologists, comedians, celebrities or |
| 0:27.7 | journalists, no podcast or day, looks the same here. So no matter what you like, check out BBC |
| 0:33.3 | Sounds. There's probably another podcast on there that you're absolutely love. |
| 0:38.0 | Thanks for downloading TechTent from the BBC World Service. Find out more about us at BBC |
| 0:43.0 | world service.com slash TechTent. |
| 0:49.4 | Hello and welcome to TechTent, your essential weekly guide to all the hottest news from the technology business. |
| 0:55.9 | I'm Rory Kathleen Jones, and on this week's program, the backlash against facial recognition technology, |
| 1:01.4 | as Amazon stops the police using its system. |
| 1:05.0 | How TikTok became the platform of choice for many Black Lives Matter activists. |
| 1:10.4 | And what's the oldest gadget you have that's |
| 1:12.6 | still working? We'll find out why it may not be clever to keep buying smart new devices. Joining me this |
| 1:19.8 | week is BBC Technology reporter Jane Wakefield. Hi Jane. Where are you? Hello, Rory. I'm still in my |
| 1:25.6 | kitchen. I'm getting a bit fed up with it now. |
| 1:27.5 | You live in that kitchen as I live in my loft. One day we'll break out, I promise you. Here's a |
| 1:34.0 | flavour of what's coming up. What's happening in a really powerful way is that we're getting |
| 1:38.5 | great storytelling from different perspectives and therefore we're much more informed than we ever |
| 1:44.0 | were before. |
| 1:44.9 | Hundreds and hundreds of people got in touch, including one woman who told me she had |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

