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FBI To Spend $1B Expanding Fingerprint Database

Posted by kdawson on from the lot-of-iris-scans dept.

mytrip and other readers alerted us to news that the FBI is about to announce the awarding of a $1B, 10-year contract to expand its fingerprint database to incorporate other biometrics — palm prints, iris scans, scars, tattoos, possibly facial shape — "Whatever the biometric that comes down the road, we need to be able to plug that in and play," an FBI spokesman is quoted. Barry Steinhardt of the ACLU sounded the cautionary note: "This had started out being a program to track or identify criminals. Now we're talking about large swaths of the population — workers, volunteers in youth programs. Eventually, it's going to be everybody."

12 of 159 comments (clear)

  1. Superbad, anyone? by kaos07 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why bother with scars and tattoos? What we really is a National Semen Database just in case the criminal ejaculates all over the scene of the crime. The FBI could even use sperm banks as a front!

    1. Re:Superbad, anyone? by blindd0t · · Score: 3, Funny

      What we really is a National Semen Database just in case the criminal ejaculates all over the scene of the crime.

      Nah, what they really need to do is have the ability to identify people by their genitals. See, by doing so, you could be forced to identify yourself in public, thus making you a sex offender, and thus voiding any human rights you had left. Of course, I'm just making random crap up, obviously, but I really feel their intentions are just as absurd.

    2. Re:Superbad, anyone? by Slak · · Score: 4, Funny

      but only criminals hide their genitals in public....

  2. Add a column by tgv · · Score: 2, Funny

    ALTER TABLE fingerprints ADD BLOB;

  3. Re:Keep your eye out for... by Loibisch · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, also make sure you do not touch your tinfoil hat without wearing leather gloves, else they'll be reading your fingerprints off it using their invisible mind rays.

  4. Re:Keep your eye out for... by Chrisq · · Score: 1, Funny

    Shopworkers of the world unite. You have nothing to lose but your change.

  5. Look into scanner with remaining eye by Nomen+Publicus · · Score: 3, Funny

    Few criminals leave their eyes at the scene of a crime. So, why are iris scans needed if you already have fingerprints?

  6. Re:Keep your eye out for... by pipatron · · Score: 3, Funny

    It saddens me to hear that you are not using MindGuard. Using only a tinfoil hat does not offer full protection!

    --
    c++; /* this makes c bigger but returns the old value */
  7. Re:The Mafia wants this by Smordnys+s'regrepsA · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sale? Maybe on the black market! If I'm going to have to get it illegally, I'll just wait the extra week to download the handi-cam version from TPB.

    --
    Just -1, Troll talking to another.
  8. hex? by Edam · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's $27 in decimal.

    --
    "Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master." -Pravin Lal
  9. Disney? by Upaut · · Score: 2, Funny

    I bet I could get a much larger, completed database, for less then half of that...

    Just put some homeland security squeeze on Disney, and offer them a pittance, and buy their database. Done. Largest fingerprint database in the world of public citizens and criminals.... Every walk of life loves Disney World...

    Could I have my million dollar consulting fee now?

    --
    3 degrees of separation from Vladimir Putin
  10. It's already an issue... by PhattyMatty · · Score: 2, Funny

    They've already started getting fingerprints on people that aren't just criminals. I was at sea world a year ago and they were doing hand scans of parents and their children before they got to go in. Since I was a Canadian citizen, I was exempt from being in their mass database, but it was still shocking.