News and insight into biometric identification and authentication

FBI using facial recognition to find fugitives

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The FBI is searching driver license databases using facial recognition technology, according to an Associated Press news report.

In North Carolina the technology was used to catch a double-murder suspect. The FBI learned the suspect was in North Carolina, took a 1991 booking photo and then compared it with 30 million photos stored by the motor vehicle agency. The search returned a dozen or so results and from there the suspect was identified and a week later he was arrested.

The ACLU has concerns over how the information is being used and the mission creep with drive licenses, said Christopher Calabrese, an attorney who focuses on privacy issues at the ACLU. “Now you need them to open a bank account. You need them to be identified everywhere. And suddenly they’re becoming the de facto law enforcement database.”

The FBI has set up a group to set standards on how driver license photos can be used in criminal cases.

Read the full story here. [end] 

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