FBI Facial Recognition Database Contains Images of the Innocent

FBI Facial Recognition Database Contains Images of the Innocent

  • By Ginger Hill
  • Apr 15, 2014

Documents obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation discovered that the massive facial recognition database, Next Generation Identification (NGI), FBI Facial Recognition Database Contains Images of the Innocentcurrently being built by the FBI will have 52 million photos by 2015. That’s 36 million more photos than the database had in the middle of 2013! Besides that, 4.3 million images included in this database were obtained for “non-criminal purposes.” Guess Big Brother is always watching…even the innocent.

It’s not exactly clear where the photos came from, but it is speculated that jobs requiring a background check, fingerprints or an identification photo sent them to the FBI.

NGI will have both criminal and non-criminal records side-by-side, which is different from the FBI’s fingerprint database that kept them separate. Any searches ran will query the entire database so that even those who haven’t been arrested for a crime could have their facial images pop up. (I sure hope the FBI agent doesn’t misread an image, seeing a non-criminal as a criminal! Case of mistaken identity?!)

Facial recognition seems to be a dual-edged sword when it comes to privacy issues. This technology can improve lives, but it can also be seen as an invasion of privacy. In the case of the FBI’s NGI database, I feel that if a person is innocent, then they shouldn’t have anything to worry about, but I can say that I have a problem with my facial image being displayed side-by-side with criminals. Maybe the FBI needs to consider keeping criminal images and non-criminal images separate.

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

  • Why the Future of Video Security Is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reasons. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. Read Now

  • UL Solutions Launches Artificial Intelligence Safety Certification Services

    UL Solutions Inc., a global leader in safety science, today announced the launch of artificial intelligence (AI) safety certification services, enabling comprehensive assessments for evaluating the safety of AI-powered products. Read Now

  • ESA Announces Initiative to Introduce the SECURE Act in State Legislatures

    The Electronic Security Association (ESA), the national voice for the electronic security and life safety industry, has announced plans to introduce the SECURE Act in state legislatures across the country beginning in 2025. The proposal, known as Safeguarding Election Candidates Using Reasonable Expenditures, provides a clear framework that allows candidates and elected officials to use campaign funds for professional security services. Read Now

    • Guard Services
Most   Popular

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.