Biometrics

This report was co-written by MuckRock Editor JPat Brown. MuckRock Co-founder Michael Morisy, MuckRock Intern Lukas Knight, and EFF Activism Intern Annelyse Gelman also contributed to this report. Another version appears at MuckRock.com.

A day in the life of the surveillance state

Often, the discussion on government surveillance in the US is all about the NSA or the FBI. But the feds aren’t the only ones spying on you. Local law enforcement has been getting in on the action, and it’s not good.

While some police departments and sheriff's offices are left to oversee themselves, many cities and counties around the country have adopted civilian oversight bodies. Often composed of everyday citizens, these boards and commissions are charged with investigating misconduct complaints against law enforcement, from intense police brutality to minor violations of departmental policies.

In the last few years, the FBI has been dramatically expanding its biometrics programs, whether by adding face recognition to its vast Next Generation Identification (NGI) database or pushing out mobile biometrics capabilities for  “time-critical situations” through its Repository for Individuals of Special Concern (RISC).

This Labor Day weekend, EFF joins tens of thousands of sci-fi and fantasy fans at Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. Our goal: educate and energize the fandoms about privacy, surveillance, and free speech. 

The New York Times has a story out on how San Diego police use mobile facial recognition devices in the field, including potentially on non-consenting residents who aren’t suspected of a crime.  One account from a retired firefighter is especially alarming:

Do you have a minute to help us map how police are using handheld devices to collect biometric data, like your facial features or iris patterns? OK, how about 30 seconds? If you type fast enough, we bet you can get it down to 10 seconds.