This Last Week Tonight episode with John Oliver is a valuable resource for connecting modern surveillance technologies to historical biological perspectives in criminology. It highlights how facial recognition technology (FRT) can reflect the same flawed logic as pseudoscientific practices like physiognomy—the 19th-century belief that criminal traits could be identified through facial features. Just as physiognomy was used to justify biased policing and social control, FRT today raises similar concerns about racial profiling, inaccuracy, and discriminatory enforcement. The video encourages students to question the use of supposedly “objective” tools in criminal justice and to critically examine how outdated biological theories continue to influence modern surveillance and policing practices.
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