You will be watched/tracked - whether you like it or not.
Utah will test hidden technology that tries to find weapons among crowds at schools, stadiums and churches
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes is partnering with Georgia-based Liberty Defense to test and promote a product that uses 3D imaging and artificial intelligence to detect concealed weapons on people in public spaces.
The company’s product, HEXWAVE, can be hidden in walls and other structures as it scans for objects like guns, knives and explosives obscured by clothing or bags, according to a promotional video on the Liberty Defense website.
The technology, as Liberty Defense has described it, appears to “strike the balance between privacy interests on one side and security and safety,” Reyes said. “Hexwave seems to be right in that sweet spot."
According to Liberty Defense, the agreement with Reyes includes the attorney general facilitating introductions between the company and prospective clients and advising interested parties on the potential uses of HEXWAVE. Park City police have had discussions with the company about testing it at the Sundance Film Festival. Because the imaging technology identifies objects, rather than the people carrying them, Reyes said he believes it could be less invasive than, say, facial recognition technology or even driver license scanners.
“If you can imagine an open place like Park City during Sundance to be able to have a little more of an awareness of what — not who and what their identity is and where they live and what their driver license is — but what they might have on them and where that is, … to make sure everybody is as safe as possible.”
The company also suggests the technology could be installed at sporting and concert arenas, school campuses, churches, government buildings and amusement parks. Reyes said some companies in Utah have already expressed interest in being part of the HEXWAVE tests.
“HEXWAVE can be applied in a variety of settings to provide a means to identify possible threats before they advance into attacks," Bill Riker, CEO of Liberty Defense, said in a statement. “We are excited that the attorney general of Utah recognizes the potential value of this technology and the opportunity it provides for enhanced security in the state.”
Clark Aposhian, a gun-rights advocate and chairman of the Utah Shooting Sports Council, said he wonders about the practical applications for the technology in Utah. Private venues — like the Sundance Film Festival — are free to prohibit weapons, but state law permits concealed carry in public spaces like parks, school campuses and the Utah State Capitol.
“People can walk in there with guns,” Aposhian said. “Permit holders do that all the time.”
Aposhian said there’s the potential for lawful gun owners to be harassed by any new approach to security. But most places where weapons are prohibited are already equipped with metal detectors and other types of scanners, he said, and it might be difficult to effectively deploy the HEXWAVE devices in a state with so many authorized gun owners.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2019/05/22/utah-will-test-hidden/