Sunday, September 27, 2009

Politics push toward expanded fingerprinting, biometric profiles

Three thematically related stories related to fingerprints caught my eye this morning and may interest Grits readers:
A common theme for all three is that there's intense political pressure to expand fingerprint systems and integrate them nationally. At the same time, fingerprint matching is a subjective craft and especially because of its wider use in immigration cases, in particular, demand for these services is increasing at a time when the science behind its use is being questioned. The story out of California highlights some of the hidden costs to agencies from this expansion.

Meanwhile, one wonders if "scent evidence" will be included in the comprehensive biometric profiles the FBI plans to create on the millions of Americans who come into contact with the justice system? According to Computerworld, "The next-generation FBI database system is under design by MorphoTrak and is expected to include DNA, iris scans, advanced 3-D facial imaging and voice scans among its multi-modal biometrics."
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10 comments:

  1. Chris H9/27/2009 10:45:00 AM

    What's the big deal grits? Isn't this just more of that public information that everyone should be entitled to? /s

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  2. doran9/27/2009 10:48:00 AM

    Big Brother, indeed. It is enough to cause one to suspect that the ongoing, every year, bit by bit criminalization of more and more acts and status may have attainment of a police state as the goal.

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  3. doran9/27/2009 10:49:00 AM

    Good point, Chris H. Why not make these date bases public in the same way that driver's license info, carry permits, and other such things are public.

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  4. Gritsforbreakfast9/27/2009 10:59:00 AM

    ChrisH, I presume your reference was to my support of making public dates of birth for voters in the county registrar? Frankly it's hard for me to believe that's become controversial. Drivers license and voting info was public long before I ever showed up.

    Of course, as Doran wryly points out with his second comment, none of this is "public information" in the same sense, either legally or in practice. In fact, what's in it will be closed to the public. That's because it serves different political function from open records: One allows the citizens to monitor the government, the other allows the government to monitor its citizens.

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  5. R. Shackleford9/27/2009 11:14:00 AM

    An Orwellian nightmare in the making. A nightmare that many of us see becoming a reality. Makes me glad I have off-grid capability. Seeing as how Castle Doctrine applies to your car now (more or less), as well as your home, getting a carry permit makes very little sense to me. I see it as just another registration scheme. No thanks.

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  6. doran9/27/2009 03:17:00 PM

    Uhhhh, Grits ol friend, I wasn't being wry. I mean it. Why not make a fingerprint data base, for example, available for public inspection and use? I'm interested in "hearing" the arguments against.

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  7. Anonymous9/27/2009 06:45:00 PM

    My first reaction after reading all three articles was to laugh. Two examples of states that are having problems with basic fingerprinting and the feds want to build a database that blows fingerprinting away when it seems the technology now can't properly interface. If “illegals” of whatever nationality can slide under aliases now because of the issues stated, what makes the Feds believe the new system will for one work and can the state jurisdictions not only afford the technology, but learn how to properly use it? Or maybe the Feds have no intention of sharing?

    Then I remembered this little article,

    http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JZS/is_12_24/ai_n26677759/

    There's a lovely little town in nowhere Panama where most places still operate on a cash only basis and while I can get a nice Internet connection, no one wants my shopping history, taps my phone, wants my personal banking records, records me walking down the street or wants my blood and DNA. I'm looking forward to a retirement as an expatriate more and more.

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  8. R. Shackelford9/28/2009 09:53:00 AM

    I may see you there, Anny 6:45. I reckon a man could live free and easy down that way.

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  9. Anonymous9/28/2009 01:29:00 PM

    As can this woman, R.

    I know some who shipped half their lives to their destinations and live much like they did up here in expat communities and those who have sold off everything but what they could fit into a single suitcase and have done the Nomad thing until they found just the right place to settle in. I think by far, those who chose the second option have had the best experiences.

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  10. Chris H9/29/2009 01:42:00 PM

    Sorry, didn't click the happy flag to be notified of follow up comments.

    Doran is correct, there is no logical difference between the two databases.

    The issue lies in that neither should be the purview of the government to be storing in the first place. You, nor officer Barney Fife have any moral authority to know anything about me.

    This is an infringement on liberties. You may be quite content to not value your liberties but you have no moral right to restrict the liberties of others without their consent or without due process of law.

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