New PoIice Technology and Police Activities: Analysis of Perception Differences and Acceptance of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) and Intelligent Facial Surveillance (IFS)

Abstract

The acceptance of technologies applied to public security cannot be explained solely by technical perfection; value judgments regarding their use must be considered alongside the level of the technology. While previous studies on public security technologies have focused on the effectiveness or efficiency of individual technologies, there is virtually no empirical research comparing differences in acceptance across stages of technological development. In particular, there has been a lack of analysis regarding how citizens' perceptions change according to different levels during the evolutionary process—from analog policing activities to the introduction of digital policing technology, and recently to artificial intelligence and physical AI. Therefore, this study aimed to find a balance between technical efficiency and social trust while considering the level of technology, and to propose strategies to enhance acceptance. To this end, technologies at the LRF and IFS stages were compared to analyze which factors increase acceptance and which hinder it through a comparison of the technological levels at each stage. The analysis results revealed, first, that differences exist depending on the level of technology. In the LRF stage, trust in the police organization was a key factor, whereas in the IFS stage, the utility of the technology itself and safety benefits shifted to become more important evaluation criteria. Second, it was found that concerns regarding privacy infringement become more significant as technology advances. Third, it was found that the possibility of information errors in results must be considered depending on the level of technology. Accordingly, policy alternatives were presented, including the need to differentiate acceptance strategies by stage, strengthen personal information protection, and reinforce citizen-participatory monitoring and supervision bodies.