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Why Does FBI Collect Our Iris And Facial Recognition Info?

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Civil Liberties, Technology

They say it’s to stop terrorists.

Well…or empower corporations to keep a closer eye on you.

Either or…

Digital images of faces, fingerprints and palm patterns are already flowing into FBI systems in a climate-controlled, secure basement here. Next month, the FBI intends to award a 10-year contract that would significantly expand the amount and kinds of biometric information it receives. And in the coming years, law enforcement authorities around the world will be able to rely on iris patterns, face-shape data, scars and perhaps even the unique ways people walk and talk, to solve crimes and identify criminals and terrorists. The FBI will also retain, upon request by employers, the fingerprints of employees who have undergone criminal background checks so the employers can be notified if employees have brushes with the law.

Note that last paragraph. What right do companies have to know what their employees are up to in their personal lives?

Also, what’s the threshold? A traffic ticket? A DUI? An assault?

Apparently you can get “rap-backed” even if you’re not convicted:

More than 55 percent of the search requests now are made for background checks on civilians in sensitive positions in the federal government, and jobs that involve children and the elderly, Bush said. Currently those prints are destroyed or returned when the checks are completed. But the FBI is planning a “rap-back” service, under which employers could ask the FBI to keep employees’ fingerprints in the database, subject to state privacy laws, so that if that employees are ever arrested or charged with a crime, the employers would be notified.

I hope that you live in a state that doesn’t allow this. What an amazing invasion of privacy.

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 22nd, 2007 and is filed under Civil Liberties, Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Why Does FBI Collect Our Iris And Facial Recognition Info?”

  1. AMERICAN NONSENSE » The Use of Biometrics has the Left Atwitter Yet Again Says:
    December 22nd, 2007 at 7:40 pm

    [...] of course anything that is aimed at protecting our citizens and our country automatically gets the left all [...]

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