Overview of Track

Veritone’s CEO, Ryan Steelberg, introduced the vision behind the company’s latest innovation, Track: a tool designed to identify individuals without relying on facial recognition, which is often restricted by law. The system can also engage in tracking when faces are partially obscured or entirely out of sight.

Criticism and Privacy Concerns

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has expressed significant reservations about Track, describing it as the first large-scale non-biometric tracking system utilized in the U.S. They argue that it raises similar privacy issues as facial recognition technology while introducing unique concerns, especially in the context of increasing government surveillance targeted at protesters, immigrants, and students during the Trump administration.

Functionality and Features

During a demonstration, Veritone showcased Track’s capabilities, analyzing footage from various scenarios, including notable events like the January 6 riots and public settings such as subway stations. Users can search for individuals by specifying attributes such as:

• Body size
• Gender
• Hair color and style
• Shoe type
• Clothing
• Accessories

This ability allows the tool to create timelines that track individuals across multiple locations and video feeds. Additionally, Track is integrated with Amazon and Microsoft cloud platforms for accessibility.

Development and Future Plans

Steelberg noted that the range of attributes used by Track to identify individuals is set to expand. While the program currently operates solely on recorded footage, plans are in place to enable live video feed analysis within a year.

Authorities utilizing Track are permitted to incorporate video from diverse sources, including police body cameras, drone footage, and community-sourced videos, like those from Ring cameras.

A Unique Perspective on Surveillance

Steelberg humorously referred to Track as a “Jason Bourne app.” He anticipates that its deployment will attract legal scrutiny, highlighting that its purpose is not only to support law enforcement efforts but also, ideally, to help exonerate innocent individuals.

Currently, the public sector contributes just 6% of Veritone’s revenue, primarily derived from sectors like media and entertainment. However, the company identifies government contracts as the fastest-growing part of its business, with clients spread across states like California, Washington, Colorado, New Jersey, and Illinois.

Industry Response and Automation Concerns

Concerns surrounding the automated analysis of surveillance footage have been voiced by experts like Jay Stanley from the ACLU. He noted that while many companies are innovating video analytics products, Track stands out as the first to enable efficient, broad tracking of specific individuals at scale.