NEC pushes facial recognition in Hong Kong

Says technology is a “fantastic tool” for the city.

Japan’s NEC Corporation said it facial recognition technology will help maintain public order in Hong Kong. It claims its “NeoFace” facial recognition software identified a suspect from footage of the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, 2013.

The results of this study challenge the assertion that facial recognition software was unhelpful. It proves that biometrics technology offers a genuine and quick way to identify people after, or ideally before, they carry out a criminal act, said Elsa Wong, Managing Director, NEC Hong Kong.

"Facial recognition is a fantastic tool for a city like Hong Kong, both for security and for other applications such as customer relationship development,” Wong said.