Facial Recognition, Severance Pay, and The Dangers of Influencer Marketing

The Somewhat Troubling Future of Facial Recognition

At it’s best, facial recognition promises to make life smooth and easy, allowing you to access everything, from offices to your smart phone, with just one look. Of course, like any advanced technology, it has the potential to cause trouble. In the case of facial recognition, the particular kind of trouble people are worried about is surveillance.

While using facial recognition at the workplace, for example, could help make your mornings a whole lot more streamlined, recognizing the negative potential of this type of technology is critical - especially before it becomes so integrated in society that it’s nearly impossible to undo.

Because facial recognition technology creates a database of images so that you can easily be identified, there’s also the potential for you to be misidentified. For example, if you were identified by facial recognition technology at a local store as the suspect in a violent crime, you could be arrested and even forced to stay in jail for something you didn’t do. And, once you are released, your facial information is still stored as having a “history”, making it more difficult to do everyday things, like traveling or getting security clearances.

While it might seem far off, these issues are actually happening already in other countries like China. As more and more businesses see the potential (and the lucrative income) of facial recognition technology, they’re eager to advance it, regardless of the cost. And, even if these companies eventually recognized the danger of what they created, because they move so quickly it would be difficult to stop it preemptively.

The potential for facial recognition technology is vast, and it’s not necessarily evil. But, like any technology, it’s important that the repercussions of it are discussed openly with the public and that proper rules and regulations are put in place before it becomes a cultural mainstay.

Looking at the Issue of Severance Pay

While a lot of progressives involved in labor issues seem to be focusing on minimum wage and closing the gender gap, a new wave of debates are looking at something different: severance pay. With massive closures at department stores like Toys R Us and Sears, new campaigns are striving to guarantee severance pay to workers that have been laid off.

In New Jersey, progressives are looking to pass a legislative bill that would require severance from all large employers for all laid off employees. While it’s still in the works, this type of legislation should be on the radar of all businesses, big and small, since it has the potential to gain momentum like other labor causes. Knowing where your business stands on the issue of severance pay and having a plan of action in case the status quo changes will help to keep you ahead of the curve and your business safe from potential pitfalls.

The Danger of Influencer Marketing and What All Small Businesses Should Be Doing

The power of social media influencers is huge, which is why so many small businesses are catching on, hoping to find the perfect match to help their brand takeoff. And while the buzz created by good influencers is valid, there are precautions small businesses should take in order to protect themselves from getting burned.

Precaution number one: Written and signed contracts.

The nuances of Instagram are well-known by its influencers, but many small business owners aren’t privy to the private world of the social media platform. As such, many business owners don’t realize that their casual agreements (with sometimes hefty invoices) are far different from the reality of what’s happening. For example, paying a social media influencer for each post about your business might sound like a great idea, until you realize that they’re only posting in their stories or highlights, which means that the content will disappear in a short period of time. And, even with regular posts, influencers have the ability to delete content whenever they want, which means less than explicit agreements can backfire or, at the very least, produce different results.

In order to make sure the social media influencers are worth your money, small businesses should craft explicit written contracts that delineate exactly what’s expected. Then, if an influencer doesn’t follow the guidelines, there can be legal repercussions. As a small business, it’s important to remember that an influencer, no matter how casual it might feel, is another business outside of your own. Not drawing up a written agreement is an unnecessary risk that can be easily avoided.