Big Brother is Coming to Town- YOUR town!

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Come on- you know you watch TV.  The dozens of programs all showing spy cameras that prevail on our streets.  Within seconds, someone claims they are going to do “facial recognition” of these fuzzy images to identify and compare them to the driver’s license photos.  Well, unless these are NSA grade materials, that is not happening- yet!

Now, police are clamoring to buy new devices that hook up to smartphones.  One snap of a face from five feet or less- and then they can determine if the individual has a criminal record.  (This attachment also does fingerprints!)  These devices use biometric technologies developed by BI2 Technologies.  The MORIS (Mobile Offender Recognition and Information System)  is not cheap- running about $ 3K per  unit, and it really does facial recognition and fingerprints. MORIS monitors about 130 data points about the face and compares them to those characteristics in its database.

Of course, the question arises does this search require the existence of a warrant.  (Given the current makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court, unless the police strap the subject down, my guess is they will say no.)  It is illegal to take fingerprints, unless there is “reasonable suspicion”.  But, it has been considered legal to take pictures of folks in public spaces.  There should be no leap of logic to see that police will want to render this device ubiquitous in practice.   (Don’t you recall police using then immature technology to scan the faces of every person going to the 2001 Super Bowl?)

One of the first places this device will be put to use is in Arizona.  Not surprising, since you can be arrested there if you fail to produce a valid photo ID.

BI2 also has an iris identification device (cutely named the IRIS), but that only works from a few inches away (up to 6 inches).  And, that will presumably require a warrant or an arrest for its use.

Right now, BI2 avers it will only sell the device to police agencies, but that is only temporary.  Plans for the private company clearly include the sale of their devices to the health care and financial sectors.  And, the database is comprised of individuals entering or being released from correctional facilities (jails and prisons), although “mug shots” are also being added to the database.  The company hopes to also obtain access to the FBI fingerprint database and the 50 states’ DMV photo libraries.

Devices similar to these are already in use by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to rout insurgents.  The Department of Defense acknowledges the deployment of about 7000 devices from other vendors (not BI2).

George Orwell and William Gibson weren’t writing fiction- they were just off by two or three decades…

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34 thoughts on “Big Brother is Coming to Town- YOUR town!”

    1. Yes, Tor. And, I know you posted first, but I really did just go “a little” overboard on the last comment… So, I’ll just send it to you instead… (This heat is getting to me!)
      Thanks for dropping in. Love your additions.
      Roy

  1. Here’s the thing, in theory it seems like a pretty good idea. With this device, it will cut down on the amount of time wasted waiting to find out if the person is wanted or not. However, technology is NOT fool-proof. There have been numerous reports as of late of big companies (I think even the pentagon was victim at one point) getting emails and such hacked.

    This device, in the wrong hands, could do way more damage then good.

    And then there is the privacy thing. I am a law abiding citizen (well, there was that one time…lol) seriously, I am a law abiding citizen and I shouldn’t have to worry about some cop standing in the corner taking my picture. I mean, how do we know he is using it for the proper purposes?

    1. Melissa, I don’t believe in the Minority Report, where the police can prosecute a crime before it’s committed. And, I do believe we need to keep our citizens safe.
      But, there is NOTHING wrong with having a policeman with a smartphone have pictures of folks wanted that he can examine and compare to those he sees. It’s very different for that same cop to TAKE a picture of everyone he sees and compares it to some database that is maintained by some unknown person somewhere, who may have entered the wrong data, included folks rousted for no reason, etc.
      This is akin to police with cameras driving up and down every block in town taking pictures of license plates and running them. It’s why my kids are not allowed to park their cars on the street. They are doing nothing wrong- but that does not mean that our civil liberties are completely at the whim of the police.
      Having spent time correcting the actions of governments from persecuting Blacks, from beating the crap out of protesters who had a permit that was revoked at the whim of a mayor, I know what this means. You think what happens in Syria or Egypt or Yemen or Bahrain, can’t happen here??? “Four dead in Ohio…”
      OK. enough soap box for the day…

      1. I just reread the article, and realized from your reply to Melissa that you and I are in agreement. There is nothing to stop it happening here.

        We Americans have always thought we were blessed or lucky or out of the fray of any serious trouble. That was stupid. Of course things happen here, and could happen with a lot more force.

        I hate to say it, but I’m rather expecting it. I try to think of ways to stay safe, but don’t come up with much. Makes for a lot of sadness. :/

  2. Everything in moderation 😉 even technology 😉
    Have you heard the airport scanners are now going through a revision (literally!) of new software that only “scans” or makes visible potential dangerous items and not body parts?
    Why couldn’t this have happened in the first place? Because the world is put on a fear-alert and the fix must be instantaneous, not sense-worthy.
    I have a feeling the “step-back” action will take place with this new tech object as well.
    AHA… the adage of entrepreneurship: Doesn’t have to be perfect, just get it out there!

    1. PeggyLee:
      My guess is the technology was easiest to implement by showing all. No thought, no modification of the image, so it’s done. Why work hard and protect the innocent unless and until the innocent complain their rights are being violated.
      That is the biggest change since 9/11- the government believes it can violate our rights to “protect” us- even if that means they are violating us!
      Royo

  3. Fascinating. Unbelievable technology. Scary when left in the wrong hands, maybe even in the right hands. Great information – thank you!
    ~Suerae

      1. “If” they sell it to corporations? I am sure they already have it. They have everything else in the country; why not this stuff too?

        They run the government now, and it sickens me.

        Sorry to have all my comments sound so negative here today, but geez—this is not happy talk! 🙂

        1. Paula:
          I am not sure they have- only because they need to prove it works flawlessly first. And, they need the database filled- which would be delayed if corporations were involved.
          But, I would not bet money on my suppositions.
          Thanks for the comments.
          Roy

  4. Technology can be a wonderful tool, I love it myself. However the problem here is in the interpretation and judgement that comes from using a tool such as this one.
    Thats where the innocent public, even those with a previous record, could run into all sorts of problems.

    1. Bingo, Ms. H.
      The question here in America is whether we are going to trash our constitution which avers that we are innocent until guilty. This process, which can easily store the photos taken, means we are guilty until proven innocent! Vive la Republique (that’s the rule in France!)
      Roy

  5. This seems like a cool technology and definitely good enough for the crime levels, hopefully. We have police men with cameras here for clicking photos of people who have parked all wrong. Yes, for a city that is adopting paid parking rules, this is the new introduction.

    But people, yes, if they are doing it for the right reasons then it might be helpful but who decides when privacy is violated with?

  6. Technology eventually catches up with fiction but we never fully understand the consequences of those leaps forward. Society is more complex than the fiction and it is truly worrisome that we are unable to develop to match where the technology is.
    Big Brother has since 1982 watched us in other ways, he is just more savvy in 2011 and in 2012, he might be down right obnoxious

  7. No one minds when “big brother” comes to visit to help us, protect us or warn us with use of technology but, the second someone gets it wrong, does harm, or it costs us $, then we all feel that we were violated by the good turned bad. I can see this intelligence being used for good before bad but, we all know there are minds out there that like to challenge and change so, God help us when it develops into what is not useful.

    1. I have less faith than you, Veronica. This device makes us all guilty until innocent. (After all, where do you think the pictures they take will end up?) Better the device is loaded with photos of criminals on the lam and the police match those photos with whom they see..

      Thanks for the comments.
      Roy

  8. The technology is growing and increasingly being used by everyone, I’m not surprised. However, it is a bit scary …. already when we go to the Los Angeles area there are cameras on almost every traffic signal. But it sure would be wonderful to hear a device like this helped to take a rapist or murderer off the streets.

    Thanks for sharing this Roy. Very interesting.

    1. Lynn- that is the intent. But, I fear it will be used to intimidate folks on the street. IF the device had photos in it that could be searched- and then the police could match it with who they saw- that’s one thing. This is a completely different matter (in my opinion).
      Thanks for visiting and commenting.
      Roy

  9. I thought these devices exist in movies and books only.lol What’s bothering about these devices is that it may affect our privacy and our rights as citizens… I just hope the government implements appropriate rules on how to utilize these devices when it becomes available to the public.

  10. As time goes by, experts are inventing more advanced gadgets or modern technologies that can make our lives easier. And this gadget is so cool!

  11. This is so freaky, but so fascinating at the same time! I’m such a technology nut and love learning about the latest gadgets, but it’s scary to think how the police could possibly take advantage of this. =(

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  13. Ha-HA! So I’ve foiled THEM because I don’t HAVE a smart phone! HAHA! I’m just kidding. Actually, I really LOATHE all this sneaky-pants spying on your own people stuff, Roy! Bugging our phones, reading our e-mails, for Pete’s sake–what next?? I think Big Brother needs to be kicked out of the family!
    Amy recently posted..You win some, you lose some: an afternoon hailstorm

    1. Now that I can type again (ROTFL)…
      Amy- I can think of a lot of reasons to tap your phones- all that animal information would be useful for the Agriculture Department.

      Thanks for your visit AND your comment- but best of all, for the laughs!

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