Oosto facial recognition drone patent application draws controversy

A patent application filed by Tev Aviv-based technology start-up AnyVision (now Oosto) for a drone-based system with advanced facial recognition capabilities raised concerns about police and military uses.

Filed in August 2019, the system describes how drones can get the best angle to obtain high-quality, facial images of people, and sets out different ways this may be achieved, including avoiding objects that may be obscuring a face.

How the system will be deployed remains unclear. According to AnyVision CEO Avi Golan, it could be deployed to deliver packages and in smart cities. Human and digital right advocates are concerned about police and military uses.

Microsoft announced in 2019 it would stop working with AnyVision after it had been discovered monitoring Palestinians in the Gaza Strip using facial recognition.