Controversy returns as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) changes service providers for its facial recognition technology.
Australian Computer Professional, September 2028
Following the shock loss of key Victorian electorates to the anti-immigration One Nation Party in 2022, the Federal Government introduced the "Biometric Similarity Score" to its points-based system for long-stay visas. Shenzhen-based Mi-En Systems won the initial contract to supply a modified version of its machine-learning software, used in China to identify ethnic minorities. After constructing a 3D model of an applicant's face and comparing it to a constantly updated demographic database, the software provides the numerical score described on DFAT's website as a "reflection of an applicant's natural alignment with community standards".
Mi-En's term with DFAT attracted scandals including privacy breaches, misuse of the CCTV baseline data provided by state law enforcement, and allegations that desired outputs could be elicited from the system through a 'back-door' method of UV barcodes applied as face make-up.
DFAT is not renewing Mi-En's contract, choosing instead to implement the open-source CaraCara framework in-house.
The announcement has reignited criticisms from all sides of the political spectrum. National Party Senator Matt Reynolds called the scoring lax, adding, "Walk down any street in Sydney and you'll see what I mean."
While the Indigenous and Torres Strait Advisory Council submitted an updated study on the under-representation of indigenous facial features in the baseline due to relatively fewer CCTVs being deployed in regional areas, the National Party has prepared a separate study claiming under-representation of Caucasian features for the same reason.
Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Simon Tham has labelled the change a 'de facto tightening of an automated White Australia Policy', alluding to results from Japan's Ministry of Justice showing CaraCara consistently more stringent than Mi-En when comparing faces to aggregate norms. [Japan's 'Utsukushii Kuni/Beautiful Japan' program continues to use CaraCara.]
Rejecting the Opposition's calls to use human decision-makers, Minister for Homeland Affairs Jane Cobb responded, "Australians do not wish to return to the months of opposition chaos. Building on Australia's outstanding immigration record requires the continued support of the Australian people. We are committed to improving the transparency, reliability, and efficiency of a system which must not only be fair, but also seen to be fair."
Opposition Immigration spokesperson Sarah Inara is calling the move a blatant diversion of migrants to newer, more financially onerous streams which do not have a biometric similarity requirement, like the 999 Independent Investor Visa.
Australian Computer Professional, September 2028
Following the shock loss of key Victorian electorates to the anti-immigration One Nation Party in 2022, the Federal Government introduced the "Biometric Similarity Score" to its points-based system for long-stay visas. Shenzhen-based Mi-En Systems won the initial contract to supply a modified version of its machine-learning software, used in China to identify ethnic minorities. After constructing a 3D model of an applicant's face and comparing it to a constantly updated demographic database, the software provides the numerical score described on DFAT's website as a "reflection of an applicant's natural alignment with community standards".
Mi-En's term with DFAT attracted scandals including privacy breaches, misuse of the CCTV baseline data provided by state law enforcement, and allegations that desired outputs could be elicited from the system through a 'back-door' method of UV barcodes applied as face make-up.
DFAT is not renewing Mi-En's contract, choosing instead to implement the open-source CaraCara framework in-house.
The announcement has reignited criticisms from all sides of the political spectrum. National Party Senator Matt Reynolds called the scoring lax, adding, "Walk down any street in Sydney and you'll see what I mean."
While the Indigenous and Torres Strait Advisory Council submitted an updated study on the under-representation of indigenous facial features in the baseline due to relatively fewer CCTVs being deployed in regional areas, the National Party has prepared a separate study claiming under-representation of Caucasian features for the same reason.
Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Simon Tham has labelled the change a 'de facto tightening of an automated White Australia Policy', alluding to results from Japan's Ministry of Justice showing CaraCara consistently more stringent than Mi-En when comparing faces to aggregate norms. [Japan's 'Utsukushii Kuni/Beautiful Japan' program continues to use CaraCara.]
Rejecting the Opposition's calls to use human decision-makers, Minister for Homeland Affairs Jane Cobb responded, "Australians do not wish to return to the months of opposition chaos. Building on Australia's outstanding immigration record requires the continued support of the Australian people. We are committed to improving the transparency, reliability, and efficiency of a system which must not only be fair, but also seen to be fair."
Opposition Immigration spokesperson Sarah Inara is calling the move a blatant diversion of migrants to newer, more financially onerous streams which do not have a biometric similarity requirement, like the 999 Independent Investor Visa.
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