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Your Face Belongs to Us

by Kashmir Hill · 2023

In a nutshell

Investigative non-fiction book about a secretive AI-powered facial recognition startup and its implications for privacy and surveillance. While centered on a startup, it is primarily a tech-journalism and ethics book rather than a how-to or must-read guide for startup founders, so its relevance to a "must read startup books" directory is peripheral.


title: "Your Face Belongs to Us" slug: "your-face-belongs-to-us" brand: "Penguin Random House" brand_logo: "" category: "Biographies & Nonfiction" featured: false source_url: "" images:

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summary: | "Your Face Belongs to Us" is an investigative non-fiction book by journalist Kashmir Hill that explores a secretive AI-powered facial recognition startup and the broader implications of this technology for privacy, surveillance, and civil liberties. While it follows the story of a startup, its focus is on tech journalism, ethics, and the societal impact of facial recognition rather than on startup-building advice.

features:

  • In-depth investigation of a real-world AI facial recognition startup and its origins.
  • Examination of how large-scale scraping and analysis of images enables powerful identification tools.
  • Exploration of the impact of facial recognition on privacy, anonymity, and everyday life.
  • Discussion of surveillance risks for ordinary citizens, activists, and vulnerable groups.
  • Consideration of law enforcement and government use of facial recognition technologies.
  • Ethical analysis of unregulated or lightly regulated deployment of AI in public and private sectors.
  • Reporting on the tension between technological innovation, public safety claims, and civil liberties.
  • Contextualization of facial recognition within broader debates on data rights and digital consent.
  • Narrative-driven tech journalism, blending character-focused storytelling with policy and legal issues.
  • Relevant background for readers interested in technology governance, AI ethics, and digital surveillance.

use_cases:

  • For readers who want to understand the real-world power and risks of AI-powered facial recognition.
  • For technologists and policymakers seeking narrative context around privacy, surveillance, and regulation debates.
  • For book clubs discussing technology ethics, civil liberties, and the social impact of startups.
  • For readers of investigative journalism and narrative nonfiction about technology and society.
  • As a contextual, peripheral read for startup founders interested in the unintended consequences of tech products, particularly in security, data, and AI.

pricing: | Pricing varies by format (hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook) and retailer. See the publisher or bookseller site for current prices.

Reference

Your Face Belongs to Us — publisher / official page. Summary adapted from the Awesome Startup Books collection.

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