Accuracy of FBI's Facial Recognition System Questioned

Television shows Law and Order, and Person of Interest make extensive use of facial recognition technology and more.

[From article]
The FBI's facial recognition database has more than 400 million pictures to help its criminal investigations, but lacks adequate safeguards for accuracy and privacy protection, a congressional audit has revealed.
Totalling 411.9 million images, privacy campaigners have slammed the 'unprecedented number of photographs, most of which are of Americans and foreigners who have committed no crimes.'
The huge database - which enables investigators to automatically search images for criminal suspects - 'is far greater than had previously been understood' and raises concerns 'about the risk of innocent Americans being inadvertently swept up in criminal investigations,' said Senator Al Franken, who requested the study.
[. . .]



The FBI's database includes some 30 million criminal mugshots and 140 million images from visa applications by foreign nationals, the GAO found.
It also contains drivers' license pictures from 16 US states and 6.7 million photos from the Defense Department's biometric identification system of individuals detained by US forces abroad, among others.
The FBI's database includes some 30 million criminal mugshots and 140 million images from visa applications by foreign nationals, the GAO found.
[. . .]
The FBI's database includes some 30 million criminal mugshots and 140 million images from visa applications by foreign nationals, the GAO found.
It also contains drivers' license pictures from 16 US states and 6.7 million photos from the Defense Department's biometric identification system of individuals detained by US forces abroad, among others.
The FBI's database includes some 30 million criminal mugshots and 140 million images from visa applications by foreign nationals, the GAO found.
[. . .]



'The accuracy of a system can have a significant impact on individual privacy and civil liberties,' it added, saying that the false positive rate should be analyzed 'prior to the deployment of the system.'
'The report shows that the FBI hasn't done enough to audit its own use of facial recognition technology or that of other law enforcement agencies that partner with the FBI, nor has it taken adequate steps to ensure the technology's accuracy,' Franken said.
Civil liberties advocates said the report was worrisome.
Jennifer Lynch of the EFF, a digital rights campaigner, said 'The FBI has done little to make sure that its search results (which the Bureau calls 'investigative leads') do not include photos of innocent people, according to the report.
[. . .]
'The FBI has conducted only very limited testing to ensure the accuracy of NGI's face recognition capabilities.
'And it has not taken any steps to determine whether the face recognition systems of its external partners—states and other federal agencies—are sufficiently accurate to prevent innocent people from being identified as criminal suspects''
The EFF also says the technology in not accurate.
'As we know from previous research, face recognition is notoriously inaccurate across the board and may also misidentify African Americans and ethnic minorities, young people, and women at higher rates than whites, older people, and men, respectively.'
'Face recognition is a relatively new technology and it's important that not only the FBI but the public be aware of its limitations,' Jay Stanley of the American Civil Liberties Union said.
'Errors mean random people could be falsely identified as potential criminals and find themselves coming under the FBI's powerful investigatory microscope.
'That could be not only invading people's privacy, but also exposing them to accusations of wrongdoing.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3645102/Huge-US-facial-recognition-database-flawed-audit.html

Is YOUR picture on the FBI's facial recognition database? Audit of controversial database finds it has over 400 MILLION pictures including driving license and visa applicant images
FBI's database includes some 30 million criminal mugshots, 140 million images from visa applications and drivers' license pictures from 16 states
Senators warned scope of the database far larger than had been thought
Privacy campaigners say scale of the system is 'worrisome'
By AFP and MARK PRIGG FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 09:58 EST, 16 June 2016 | UPDATED: 12:10 EST, 16 June 2016