05 Aug FBI Biometric System Immune from the U.S. Privacy Act by August 31
Reports last Wednesday stated that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has enacted regulations that renders the public off-limits from its biometric system called the Next Generation Identification database.
The new FBI ID system houses biometric information of people screened for criminal histories, work applications, volunteer positions, and military programs.
By August 31, the FBI’s database will be immune from specific aspects of the Privacy Act, preventing citizens from accessing their records from the Next Generation Identification system.
Under the law, the FBI does not have to inform citizens if they have records in the database, stating that it could jeopardize investigations.
However, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) appealed to limit the FBI’s data collection initiatives. Surveillance project director Jeramie Scott said it exposes citizens to intrusive investigations without their knowledge.
Upon investigation, EPIC revealed that the FBI system also had a 20% mistake rate on its facial recognition program.
Source: BiometricUpdate.com
