Disneyland Implements Optional Face Recognition for Park Entry
Original: Disneyland Now Uses Face Recognition on Visitors
Why This Matters
Marks major theme park adoption of face recognition, expanding biometric surveillance in entertainment venues
Walt Disney Company announced Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park now offer optional face recognition lanes for entry. While Disney calls it voluntary, visitors may still have images captured in non-recognition lanes. Facial data converted to numerical values is deleted after 30 days except for legal or fraud prevention purposes.
The Walt Disney Company introduced face recognition technology at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, allowing visitors to choose entry lanes equipped with the technology. Disney characterizes the system as "entirely optional" but notes that visitor images may still be captured in lanes without face recognition systems. The technology converts facial images into numerical values for matching purposes. Disney states these numerical values are deleted after 30 days, with exceptions for legal or fraud-prevention requirements. Face recognition systems have proliferated across various venues in the United States, including airports, MLB and NFL stadiums, and Madison Square Garden, in addition to widespread law enforcement use.