The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking assistance from the private sector to implement face recognition scans on drivers and passengers approaching the southern border. Despite the limitations and flaws of face recognition technology, DHS aims to capture biometric data of travelers while vehicles are still in motion. The agency is looking for technology solutions that can scan occupants without requiring them to exit the vehicle and provide checkpoint agents with information to determine if they pose a threat.
The use of face recognition technology in vehicles raises concerns about privacy invasion. Dave Maass, director of investigations at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, warns that this technology can track not only where a vehicle is going but also who is driving it and who is in the car. This adds a new dimension to the invasion of privacy already caused by automated license plate readers.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) claims to have a legislative mandate to expand biometric identity checks across land, air, and sea. Face recognition cameras have already been deployed at major American airports and border crossings to verify the identities of drivers and passengers. However, the technology has shown mixed results, especially in outdoor border crossings where faces can be obscured by various factors such as reflections, hats, sunglasses, and masks.
CBP has conducted tests of face recognition cameras at border crossings to remotely identify drivers and passengers. However, the agency has struggled to capture facial images reliably in real time. A report by the DHS Office of Inspector General states that CBP does not have the technology to collect biometrics from travelers arriving in vehicles at land ports of entry. Another document obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation reveals that drivers and passengers were photographed only about three-quarters of the time, and only 80 percent of these images were usable.
While the accuracy rate of face recognition technology is touted to be 99 percent, it is important to note that this figure lacks context. More than 3,280 people per month experienced a face recognition error, raising questions about the inconvenience and potential discrimination faced by these travelers. The technology’s limitations and potential biases need to be addressed before implementing it on a larger scale.
As DHS seeks assistance from the surveillance industry, it is crucial to learn from past incidents. In 2019, Perceptics, a provider of license plate-scanning technology used at checkpoints, was hacked, revealing unauthorized copies of traveler image personally identifiable information. The incident highlights the need for robust data protection and insider threat security controls to prevent future breaches.
In conclusion, the use of face recognition technology at the border is an error-prone experiment that raises significant privacy concerns. While DHS aims to enhance security and identify potential threats, the limitations and flaws of the technology cannot be ignored. It is crucial to address privacy invasion, accuracy issues, and potential biases before implementing this technology on a larger scale.