Biometrics

IRS Leader Explains Why the IRS Went to ID.me 

The agency needs to be able to identity proof online users at a certain level to be able to offer a full menu of online services, Rettig told lawmakers.

  • By Natalie Alms

Senators Call for Removal of Facial Recognition Tech in Unemployment Services

The lawmakers asked the Department of Labor to help state unemployment agencies remove facial recognition technology from application forms. 

  • By Alexandra Kelley

CBP Revitalizes Biometric Data Collection At Border

Customs and Border Protection jumpstarted a DNA collection program in fall of 2021 to verify family relations, but will not store data it in the FBI's Combined DNA Index System.

  • By Alexandra Kelley

Lawmakers Call for End to Government’s Use of Facial Recognition Tech

The request specifically calls out “dangers” in multiple federal agencies operating Clearview AI’s facial recognition technology.

  • By Frank Konkel

Agencies Are Tapping a Facial Recognition Company to Prove You’re You. That Raises Concerns about Privacy, Accuracy and Fairness

Federal and state governments are turning to a facial recognition company to ensure that people accessing services are who they say they are. The move promises to cut down on fraud, but at what cost?

  • By James Hendler, The Conversation

ACLU Calls for Halt of Homeland Security’s Use Of Facial Recognition Technology

The civil rights organization said that the biometrics technology can lead to discriminatory arrests based on race.

  • By Alexandra Kelley

DHS Researching Public Perception of Facial Recognition and AI Use 

The Department of Homeland Security is collecting privacy concerns as critics fight to ban facial recognition outright. 

  • By Alexandra Kelley

Bill Would Block Contractors from Selling Data Harvested with AI Tools to Third Parties

A bipartisan proposal would also clarify that the government ultimately owns the data collected by federal contractors and their artificial intelligence systems. 

  • By Alexandra Kelley

White House Wants to Know How Biometrics Like Facial Recognition Are Being Used

A request for comments is polling governments and the private sector on the full breadth of uses, whether it’s IDing faces or predicting malintent.

  • By Aaron Boyd

DOJ Seeks Congressional Funding to Implement Policy on Body-Worn Cameras

The announcement follows tensions with some local police departments over the authority to release footage recorded during joint operations.

  • By Mariam Baksh

The Taliban Reportedly Have Control of US Biometric Devices – a Lesson in Life-and-Death Consequences of Data Privacy

The Defense Department viewed “identity dominance” as the cornerstone of multiple counterterrorism strategies.

  • By Margaret Hu, The Conversation

Army Wants to Install Facial Recognition, Video Analytics at Child Development Centers

The branch plans to pilot a new facial recognition system at the daycare facility at Fort Jackson.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Facial Recognition Tech Use Increasing Among Federal Agencies

Use cases included criminal investigations, building security and access to digital assets like smartphones and security agency websites.

  • By Aaron Boyd

What One City Hopes to Learn by Pausing Use of Facial Recognition Technology

A ban in Baltimore would restrict the city from purchasing facial recognition technology and temporarily restrict use by city agencies, residents and businesses (but not the police).

  • By Andrea Noble
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Bipartisan Calls to Regulate Facial Recognition Tech Grow Louder

Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle have concerns about increased use of biometric technology.

  • By Frank Konkel

Bill Would Ban Facial Recognition in Public Housing

The proposal would also direct the Housing and Urban Development Department to conduct a comprehensive report on how the tech is used, why and its impact on tenants. 

  • By Frank Konkel

Watchdog: 10 Government Agencies Deployed Clearview AI Facial Recognition Tech

A Government Accountability Office report details how agencies used different versions of the biometric technology during the pandemic and protests.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Coast Guard Starts Process of Upgrading Its Biometrics At Sea System

The BASS system enables officers to collect biometrics from detainees at sea and match that information against the Homeland Security database.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Lawmakers Renew Effort to Ban Federal Agencies from Using Facial Recognition Tech

The reintroduced bill would prohibit agencies from using biometric tech and block federal funds for biometric surveillance systems.

  • By Mila Jasper

Baltimore Latest City to Consider Banning Facial Recognition Technology

The Maryland city joins several other localities that have banned or are assessing the controversial technology, or are limiting its scope and use.

  • By Brent Woodie

DHS Faces Rising Costs as Planned Biometrics Cloud Gets Pushed Back

Three years behind schedule, the move from legacy IDENT to the new Amazon-hosted HART system is now slated for the end of 2021.

  • By Aaron Boyd