Florida Surveillance Cameras Claim a Victim

kris_lang writes: "The St. Petersburg Times has an article that describes how an innocent man was tracked down because he was used as a "demo" face for Visionics Face-It face recognition software with their on-the-street video surveillance system in Tampa's Ybor City district. The "demo" image was printed in the St. Pete Times, and then sold to U.S. News and World Report which used it in an article. A USN&WR reader in Oklahama misidentified the face as being that of her ex-husband wanted on felony child neglect charges. The Tampa Police tracked him down to his job site and interrogated him. Now here's a question: how did they identify him in the first place to be able to track him down? Well, Florida has also been using digital photos for their newer driver's licenses. So they already have a handy-dandy database to work with."

Comments

Irony

[Patrick]

A USN&WR reader in Oklahama misidentified the face as being that of her ex-husband wanted on felony child neglect charges.

So the technology is already better at face recognition than a woman in Oklahoma. Technology: 1. Humanity: 0.

Re:Irony

[Bob McCown]

Considering it was USN&WR, I assume she recognized him right after Elvis gave her a haircut on a UFO.

Idea

[qslack]

If you ever walk around in a Florida city with cameras, wear a clear plastic bag around your head. If they identify you, sue them under the DMCA for circumvention of an encryption device (the plastic bag).

Re:Idea

[Dr. Prakash Kothari]

Or better yet, you could wear a tinfoil hat whenever you go out in public. The reflection of the sunlight off the foil would disrupt the camera, preventing it from getting a clear shot of you.

Plus, it keeps out "the voices" and the alien Carnivore anal probe mind control rays.

Of course, If I were here husband...

[walnut]

Of course, if I were here husband, now would be a good time to move to Florida AND take on the fake identity of the man accidentally questioned. Lightening rarely strikes twice - and the legal suits which (undoubtedly) this guy will try to put forth against the police will deter them from ever investigating him regarding some event even remotely related to this trial for a while.