from the it's-okay-so-long-as-you-don't-get-caught? dept.
The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles [DMV] has been caught using facial recognition software — despite a state law preventing it.
Documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont describe such a program, which uses software to compare the DMV's database of names and driver's license photos with information with state and federal law enforcement. Vermont state law, however, specifically states that "The Department of Motor Vehicles shall not implement any procedures or processes... that involve the use of biometric identifiers."
The program, the ACLU says, invites state and federal agencies to submit photographs of persons of interest to the Vermont DMV, which it compares against its database of some 2.6 million photos and shares potential matches. Since 2012, the agency has run at least 126 such searches on behalf of local police, the State Department, FBI, and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Source: Vocativ
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Friday May 26 2017, @11:22PM
The state's governor vetoed a bill about cannabis, ostensibly "due to concerns about detecting and penalizing impaired drivers" among other reasons.
/article.pl?sid=17/05/25/2234218 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday May 26 2017, @11:46PM
Silly DMV, don't you know that finding people from a picture should be outsourced to Google and FB?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by BsAtHome on Friday May 26 2017, @11:48PM (8 children)
If what they did is illegal, what is going to happen with all the did and its consequences? Does this means somebody will get punished? The way I hear this story will be something in the line of: "Oh we're sorry, we'll play by the book from now on" - while hiding their efforts better for the next operation to run.
What can you do to /stop/ this kind of behavior? That is the real question IMO.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Snotnose on Saturday May 27 2017, @12:17AM (1 child)
To stop it you throw people in jail. That will never happen, which means it will never be stopped.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Saturday May 27 2017, @03:08AM
> To stop it you throw people in jail.
...and/or invalidate convictions that were obtained by use of the technique.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 27 2017, @01:12AM (1 child)
Move to a better state?
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Saturday May 27 2017, @02:13AM
A state that also doesn't throw these asshole in jail? I don't think that state exists in the USA anymore.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Demena on Saturday May 27 2017, @01:21AM (3 children)
Well, theoretically the number of people they have to reverse (fruit of the poisoned tree) on would make the cost of repeating the exercise prohibitive. However, likely they will try to hide matters rather than reverse convictions or retrials.
(Score: 2) by http on Saturday May 27 2017, @04:39AM
More likely, they shall make parallel construction SOP.
I browse at -1 when I have mod points. It's unsettling.
(Score: 2) by deimtee on Saturday May 27 2017, @11:05AM (1 child)
Does "fruit of the poisoned tree" apply though? It's not like they searched someones property without a warrant.
It's a state law, forbidding the DMV from using biometrics, not forbidding the transfer of information to other departments.
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
(Score: 1) by Demena on Saturday May 27 2017, @11:21AM
Maybe. I am not a lawyer. Usually though a break in the chain is a break in the chain.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 28 2017, @07:14PM
Unfortunately, these stupid pigs won't stop until we are at war in this country. Don't expect me to cry when state depts and their pigs are being fire bombed and shot at en masse.