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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."

6 of 159 comments (clear)

  1. My two cents... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Wouldn't it be easier to just tattoo everyone with a number? Then anyone who is caught doing something "wrong" can be incarcerating in reeducation camps? Wouldn't this be a lot easier to do than to try getting everyone's biometrics over a long course of time? I mean, didn't Hitler have the idea down right, although it started out with only one section of society, and not everyone?

    1. Re:My two cents... by Asic+Eng · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Wouldn't it be easier to just tattoo everyone with a number?

      Not really - they wouldn't leave traces of the tattoo around.

  2. If you've done nothing wrong by yada21 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you've done nothing wrong ,you have nothing to fear. Just so long as they don't redifine what's wrong, with retro-active effect.

    --
    I will have a sig when the market demands it.
    1. Re:If you've done nothing wrong by Loibisch · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If you've done nothing wrong ,you have nothing to fear. Just so long as they don't redifine what's wrong, with retro-active effect. And as long as there is no mixup in any of their databases making you a suspect for something you never did. I'm more in fear of incompetence at the government level than I am about malice.
  3. Is it useful? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There are numerous way around these methods of identification:

    palm prints - can be removed in an acid bath and can be faked with latex or surgical silicone. Even systems that incorporate a variation on live finger detection can be fooled.

    iris scans - Can be changed through the use of contact lenses.

    Scars - a difficult one, but plastic surgury, make-up and latex can make them vanish or even create temporary ones.

    Tattoos - Laser surgury can remove them, they can also be altered beyond recognition by professionals.

    Possibly facial shape - can be altered through a variety of techniques

    Sure, it would identify the average US citizen, but it would be useless against organised crime and terrorism.

  4. small scale malice is the big issue by ex-geek · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And as long as there is no mixup in any of their databases making you a suspect for something you never did. I'm more in fear of incompetence at the government level than I am about malice.

    You were probably only considering conspiracy theory type malice. But what you really have to be afraid of, is your neighbour Frank, the cop, who is jealous of your wife and would like to have you out of the way.
    Lots of governement employees will have access rights to such a huge database. Human nature tells us that some of them will abuse the system.