FBI building $1B biometric database

[babylonsister]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2007/12/fbi_aims_for_worlds_largest_bi.php

FBI aims for world's largest biometrics database

REUTERS
Reuters North American News Service

Dec 21, 2007 23:49 EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI is embarking on a $1 billion project to build the world's largest computer database of biometrics to give the U.S. government more ways to identify people at home and abroad, the Washington Post reported Friday.

The FBI, the main investigative arm of the Department of Justice, has already started compiling digital images of faces, fingerprints and palm patterns in its systems, the paper said.

In January, the agency -- which focuses on violations of federal law, espionage by foreigners and terrorist activities -- expects to award a 10-year contract to expand the amount and kinds of biometric information it receives, it said.

At an employer's request, the FBI will also retain the fingerprints of employees who have undergone criminal background checks, the paper said.

If successful, the system, called Next Generation Identification, will collect the biometric information in one place for identification and forensic purposes, the Post said. (Reporting by Rachelle Younglai; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

Source: Reuters North American News Service

[SpiralHawk]

1. "My DNA has some, um, a, peculiar characteristics. Smirk." - Commander AWOL

Here's an actual electron-microscope image of my DNA:

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. If this tracks with...

Previous attempts by the FBI and the government to computerize, then this system will end up costing $10 Billion and identify the vast majority of people scanned as either a left-foot "Chuck's" Converse sneaker or a ham sandwich.

But the prime contractor will buy a small country with what he earns.

Note: As one who is geekishly inclined, I can say that the abilities of software and hardware to perform the magical functions touted by vendors are usually oversold and pie-in-the-sky. They would like you to believe this is magical stuff, capable of doing anything under the sun. Frankly, it is not. It is limited by the development environments, the operating systems and the fact is is all created by error-prone humans. Sure, they can collect reams of data. The fly in the ointment is turning that data into something usable.

Right now, this administration and software and hardware vendors are having an expenditure orgy. For the vendors, they know that the time is ripe to sell government agencies on anything Homeland Security related, when it comes to computerization. It doesn't matter about whether it works or not, just that they get the contract within the next year, before the party is over.

I assure you, a lot of these schemes will not work with more then 10% of their contract specification's originally specced capability. And you will run the very great risk of finding yourself someday having a hungry cop placing cheese on your head and smearing you with a spicy and robust coarse-ground mustard.

[tbyg52]

3. This is *good* news

I'd rather buy someone a small country than have the government able to identify me biometrically. (Of course, ideally, I'd rather have neither.)

[Robin Hood 991]

4. Tax dollars at work

[Garbo 2004]

5. Hotlinking pic from conservative blog....interesting.

http://granitegrok.com/blog/2007/06/do_they_ever_stop_trying_to_take_our_mon.html
http://granitegrok.com/blog/2007/10/join_senator_sununus_fight_to_keep_the_i.html#more

[symbolman]

6. just in case it works like it does in the movies...

is there like, another planet nearby, where a man can piss off his front porch, pass out by a river while fishing, or tell a cop to get out of his face, maybe run across an open field like a small boy - without some little jerk on his back?

Just wonderin' :)

Because it sure looks like to me that we're getting ready to repopulate the planet with a Whole LOT of little tin Hitlers...