License pictures scanned to find criminals

The FBI has begun using facial-recognition software on millions of drivers to search for fugitives. The software compares pictures gathered from scanning millions of drivers to pictures of known criminals. The focus of this article is the effort in North Carolina that has already helped capture one criminal by using this method.

While this method sounds like an ideal way to catch criminals on the run, many are concerned about their privacy. One attorney, Christopher Calabrese, who focuses on privacy issues likens the program to drivers being put in a vitual lineup when they obtain a driver's license. Many privacy advocates are worried that this will allow authorities to track people who have done nothing wrong.

Says Calabrese, "Licenses started as a permission to drive. Now you need them to open a bank account. You need them to be identified everywhere. And suddenly they're becoming the de facto law enforcement database."

The facial recognition software is not new, but the program in North Carolina is the first major step for the FBI in using it to locate criminals. With the success so far, they are looking at expanding use of the program nationwide.

The FBI has established a panel to decide how to best implement use of the software in the rest of the country and it will be some time before we see it very widely used.

At this point, state and federal laws allow license agencies to release license records to law enforcement, but the FBI is not authorized to collect and store the photos. A spokesperson for the FBI says that, unless someone is a criminal there is no reason to store the photo. They say they want to steer clear of anything like that, since it is definitely a privacy concern.



I actually think this is a great idea. If something helps law enforcement officials catch up with criminals on the run, I say go for it.

As I was reading farther into this article, I began to understand the viewpoint of people who might be against this program. I understand that there could be cause for concern among people who have done nothing wrong. They could definitley feel that their privacy might be invaded. That being said, I don't agree with them.

The FBI has said that they have no intention of storing photos of non-criminals or people who have no reason to be investigated. The way I see it, if you've done something wrong you really have no legitimate reason to oppose this program. The only reason I can see for a criminal to be against this is to avoid getting caught.

If you've done nothing wrong, what is there to worry about? The government already knows pretty much everything there is to know about a person. Why not have your picture too? I would actually expect them to have it already.

I think this is a huge step for law enforcement. I hope that this will lead to many more criminals being caught. It's not right that so many can run from state to state and evade capture for years.

Personally, it doesn't bother me at all if my picture is stored by the FBI. If they stick by what they claim and don't use pictures of non-criminals, I have nothing to worry about anyway.

I do understand the viewpoint of people who are against this program, but I still think it will be very useful. We live in a time when it's necessary to provide identification in almost every situation. There is just so much fraud and identity theft going on, not to mention the rising terrorist threat. That's why I don't really agree with the statement made by Mr. Calabrese about driver's licenses (quoted in my summary above). I think it's absolutely necessary these days to provide a valid, state-issued ID whenever asked. I see no problem with the government using the picture from that ID to help with the apprehension of fugitives.