Half Of U.S Adults Are In A Police Facial-Recognition Database

The Atlantic: Half of American Adults Are in Police Facial-Recognition Databases

Cities and states are investing in biometric scanning technology, with few laws in place to restrict what they can do with it.

If you’re reading this in the United States, there’s a 50 percent chance that a photo of your face is in at least one database used in police facial-recognition systems.

Police departments in nearly half of U.S. states can use facial-recognition software to compare surveillance images with databases of ID photos or mugshots. Some departments only use facial-recognition to confirm the identity of a suspect who’s been detained; others continuously analyze footage from surveillance cameras to determine exactly who is walking by at any particular moment. Altogether, more than 117 million American adults are subject to face-scanning systems.

These findings were published Tuesday in a report from Georgetown Law’s Center for Privacy and Technology. It details the results of a year-long investigation that drew upon more than 15,000 pages of records obtained through more than 100 freedom-of-information requests.

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WNU Editor: There is already a facial recognition app being marketed in Russia .... Face recognition app taking Russia by storm may bring end to public anonymity (The Guardian).

More News On Reports That Half Of U.S Adult Population Are In A Police Facial-Recognition Database

Half of U.S adult faces are now in police databases -- Vice News
Cops Have a Database of 117M Faces. You're Probably in It -- WIRED
Half of U.S. Adults Are in Police Facial Recognition Networks -- US News and World Report
Half of the United States is registered in police facial recognition databases, and they're completely unregulated -- Quartz
Police have gathered facial recognition files on half of adult Americans — and Big Brother never forgets a face -- Salon
Study Urges Tougher Oversight for Police Use of Facial Recognition -- New York Times