In 2014, Duke researchers set up cameras to record thousands of individuals walking on West Campus, with the objective of collecting a data set that could enhance facial recognition technology.
They published this data in 2016, and the data set—known as DukeMTMC—has since been cited and used in at least 175 additional papers, some of which have been tied to the Chinese government's oppression of the Uyghur minority. The Duke webpage with the data set and details of the project was recently taken down.
Read The Chronicle's piece on the data set here.
However, we are not finished investigating this story.
Do you have any information or tips about this research and its uses? What questions do you have about the story that The Chronicle could investigate further? How do you feel about the ethical or legal implications of this kind of surveillance research? Let us know by submitting the form below:
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