Google is reportedly shutting down its field research program that offered subjects USD 5 gift certificate in exchange for a scan of their face.
The decision comes after it was discovered that one Google contracting agency was targeting homeless people in Atlanta and tricking college students into participating, The Verge reports.
The idea behind the research was to ensure the upcoming Pixel 4's Face Unlock feature would recognise a diverse array of faces, and prevent it from being biased towards people of colour. Google said that it immediately suspended the program after learning about the abuse of the program.