09 Aug FBI’s NGI Biometrics Database Receives Legal Exemption from Privacy Laws
Federal privacy regulations no longer has power over the FBI’s massive biometrics database, according to news last Tuesday.
Effective on August 31, the U.S. Department of Justice states that the Next Generation Identification (NGI) system is exempted from main provisions of the Privacy Act, preventing citizens from asking about FBI data or withdrawing participation in data collection.
The FBI is not exempted from only one regulation, which is to protect the data from threats and secure its integrity at all times.
The law was opposed by several privacy advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). They claim it exposes citizens to unfair federal surveillance, disabling them from taking legal action.
According to EPIC the NGI has a 20% error rate that can erroneously match innocent citizens to suspects’ profiles.
Despite the odds, the FBI firmly states it is necessary to avoid compromising law enforcement operations.
Source: ZD Net
