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FBI Says Biometric Database has Reached "Full Operational Capability"

The FBI announced that the Next Generation Identification system, one of the largest biometric databases in the world, has reached "full operational capability." In 2013, EPIC filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit about the NGI program. EPIC obtained documents that revealed an acceptance of a 20% error rate in facial recognition searches. Earlier this year, EPIC joined a coalition of civil liberties groups to urge the Attorney General Eric Holder to release an updated Privacy Impact Assessment for the NGI. The NGI is tied to "Rap Back," the FBI's ongoing investigation of civilians in trusted positions. EPIC also obtained FOIA documents revealing FBI agreements with state DMVs to run facial recognition searches, linked to NGI, on DMV databases. EPIC's recent Spotlight on Surveillance concluded that NGI has "far-reaching implications for personal privacy and the risks of mass surveillance." For more information, see EPIC: EPIC v. FBI - Next Generation identification.

September 15, 2014| Share:

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