Privacy issues remain, acknowledged Fuhrer. But given the ubiquity of facial recognition-equipped devices, he adds: “There’s a tremendous amount of acceptance” compared to just a few years ago. And there’s also a “layer of anonymity” that can be applied to any facial analysis system deployed by Nielsen, Fuhrer said.The Neilsen Company has been the gold standard for television ratings in the US. Now, they're contemplating the application of facial recognition technology in televisions that support it in order to get more detailed information about the viewing habits of those included in their survey.
Nielsen pays its sample and is really transparent about the information is collects from individuals. My guess is that the biggest new privacy issue at work here is the potential abuse of non-Neilsen information gained by having access to a working video camera in each of the new smartTv's.
UPDATE: See also Unilever, Coca-Cola Utilize Facial Analysis To Enhance Ad Tests
