Images Of Canadians To Be Screened Against Terrorist Databases

Biometric technologies use measurable characteristics, such as a person's facial image, iris scan or fingerprint, to confirm his or her identity. Latest Comments Start a conversation on this story The systems have attracted security-conscious converts in the post 9-11 era, while raising concerns about undue surveillance among privacy advocates and civil libertarians. “We don't know really much about how these databases get made and who is programming them,” said Simone Browne, a teacher and doctoral candidate at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. “How is race reflected in this? And gender? And nationality?” A contract for the facial-recognition initiative is to be awarded by mid-November, said Francine Charbonneau, a Passport Canada spokeswoman. A regional trial will be conducted next spring with the aim of making the tool available to passport offices across the country by fall 2007. According to recently released project documents, the photos of one million passport applicants will initially be loaded into the database, with approximately four million new photos being added in each of the next five years. Passports are valid for five years, meaning the photos of all holders would be in the system by 2012. Applicant photos would be electronically compared with the millions of pictures in the database. Those renewing their passports could expect one match: the photo submitted with their last passport application. But an image match could reveal an applicant already has a passport under a different name. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060723.wpassports0723/BNStory/Front/home

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