Police Across the Nation Will Roll Out Face-Recognizing iPhone Tech This Year

Here is another step in the elimination of our freedoms.

A controversial piece of facial recognition technology (and a PopSci “Best of What’s New 2010” alum) is rolling out in police stations across the country this fall, and naturally not everyone is happy about it. The Mobile Offender Recognition and Identification System (MORIS) uses an augmented iPhone to snap pictures of faces, scan fingerprints, and even to image irises, and then combs through police databases looking for matching identities. This, understandably, has privacy and civil liberties advocates crying foul.

Similar biometric technology has been deployed by the U.S. military in places like Iraq and Afghanistan to confirm the identities of civilians entering military safe zones and to search for known insurgents at checkpoints. But rolling it out in the streets of the U.S. has plenty of people concerned with privacy and Constitutional issues.

The technology lives in a somewhat gray area of the law. It’s generally permissible to take a photo of anyone in a public space, but when a law enforcement agent does so--and especially when he or she then cross references it against a criminal database--that could constitute a search, and therefore should require a warrant.

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We are well on the way to the film Gattaca (1997) with DNA scanners just to enter building and limit us to what the corporations and governments will allow us to have.

My concern is...are we just dead sure that facial recognition technology won't mistake us for someone else?

Are we absolutely sure that facial stuff is like fingerprints?

What if it's a bad picture and they match you to a terrorist? What if you "match" a blurry picture of some random person in a robbery?

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck


One thought come's to mind.. Black mail.. Don't p*** off your local beat-cop.

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck

Correct that is one issue. What about you HAD a warrant outstanding for parking tickets, jay walking, anything. You have paid the fine and its cleared. However the database hasn't been updated, Go to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200. I see lots of problems and issues, as stated don't PO the law any where, ever or your screwed.

"This, understandably, has privacy and civil liberties advocates crying foul

It's like a hilarious joke now. Understandably, HAHAHAHAH, yeah!! thats hilarious! crying foul!!! LOL!

when the hell are we going to wake up people???

they're taking away our rights as free people, that's hilarious!!!!

reply to post by yourmaker


I carry a copy of the bill of rights on me, At all times.. Let them try to take it away from me.

Reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck

Fingerprints aren't even 100%.

They are more accurate depending on how many corresponding points are compared but still far from perfect.

It doesn't have to be. You just have to convince the public it is. Then no matter how flawed and imperfect it is the public will see it as gospel and you can lock up and execute all the useless feeders you want.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


That is very true. Having actually been a huge lover of biology, especially genetics, I came to find out that not even DNA is 100%. Not even close a lot of times, especially if the sample has been degraded.

reply to post by barkingdogamato


While active duty, Ive used the military HIIDE or Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment. They record fingerprint, iris and face imagery, if the focus is not right it wont record the data. Not any real chance of it being an error.

Personally I would feel more confident if regular law enforcement used these.

After the riots in Vancouver, ICBC (the Province wide Government run insurance company that EVERYONE has to buy car insurance from in order to drive) admitted that they had facial recognition software that could help the police match people in the riot crowd against photos and video that people sent in from their cell phones.

I started a thread at that time quetioning why an INSURANCE COMPANY would have such software. They were "very helpfully" loaning the software to the police department.

Facial Recogition from the police will not be released "sometime soon" - it's ALREADY HERE.

The British police forces have been using this type of software for some time to pick out soccer hooligans from crowds entering stadiums before and during soccer games.

Stepping this software up to be able to match against existing records is EASY.

Originally posted by AnIntellectualRedneck
My concern is...are we just dead sure that facial recognition technology won't mistake us for someone else?

there is a system that works to make sure such a thing doesn't occur. the matching algorithm performs a decision based on a threshold which determines how close to a template the input needs to be for it to be considered a match.

the database will have a stored template to verify , also there will be a cross reference with a smart card, username or ID number.

biometrics works on the basis of geometry. when the technology becomes widespread, we will all be "enrolled" thereby giving them a sample to begin the process of mapping our faces.

what happens when it gets a false positive, you show the police your i.d. they don't believe you, then get face planted, tasered and charged with resisting arrest.

or it can't get a positive i.d. do the police then have the right to stop and question you. you know where that leads.

reply to post by randomname


We can play what if till the cows land on the moon. But honestly having used this type of biometric equipment, it would more than likely help prevent such, as well as defeat identity theft.

Of course only time will tell, but in a Facebook and MySpace culture, these worries are trivial.

Funny enough, if you have any form of Photo ID issues by your state, or government, they have your face already.

Face tied to ID/SSN = your file.

So, those of us from the Sci-fi area, knew this was coming sooner or later.. Tho I expected to see much more other advancements before this being rolled out on the streets.

I guess on the plus side, it will negate the need to carry your DL/ID/CCW permits all the time.. hehe

The next question is, since this is tied to a computer, how soon before the public domain will crash it's way into it. Could you imagine finding this app on the iphone or android market, or as a torrent file?

I find it simply amazing, people talk about this tech taking away rights, freedoms or helping the police catch criminals. When will you finally wake up and realize that you are living in a functional police state and they have already taken away your rights and freedoms. Ben was correct, you neither deserve freedom or safety since you sold them both at the ballot box.

They have stolen your money, homes, jobs, freedoms and then grope you and take nude photo's of you at the airport. Yet you cry foul and have done nothing. You need a travel ID/passport just to get on a plane even if its only staying within country and now you think that this face recognition program is an issue!

When will America finally wake up, will it be when you enter the supermarket and it says; good afternoon Mr./Mrs/Miss Smith? Remember Minority Report and the bus, well there's your future and it will be sooner than you think. Ever wonder why all the cameras are being installed? They are already running the program and have been for awhile gathering data.

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck
Firstly, I promise no plagiarization of any kind, and will talk what I'm in the position to factually know.
Facial recognition will be based upon pupil/iris recognition registery technology. This is much more accurate than fingerprint or DNA delineation. What renders this degree of accuracy is that unlike DNA or fingerprints, there will be no need to measure the odds of a DNA mismatch, nor the possibility of fingerprint transplantation/alterations where the possibilities of questionable results may result. The pupil and iris cannot be altered and neither can the internal patterns in the rear of the eye lying behind the vitreous humor. Therefore, a misidentification will hardly be possible when properly functional equipment is utilized in the detection.

reply to post by Cygnis
It is already applied via the 2011 flat screen televisions, computers and cell phones. while using our PCs, not only are we being filmed and listened to, but the immediate environment you are inhabiting at the time is also being viewed. In addition to that, when on your cell phone, you and the person on the other end are monitored, and a GPS location is entered into the NSA data banks. As I earlier stated, what I reveal is valid. I'm in a position to know.