Today in TechPolice forces equipped with facial recognition devices cause privacy outrage
Police in Massachusetts will be one of the first civilian law enforcement agencies to be equipped with a controversial new facial recognition technology called MORIS. MORIS is an iPhone add-on that allows officers to scan a person's features and determine if they have a criminal history or are wanted for any number of offenses. The device can recognize faces at a distance of 5 feet, read fingerprints, and even scan the iris of a potential suspect and then cross-reference that information with a national database.
MORIS seems like it would be a thorn in the side of would-be criminals, but it's also raising eyebrows amongst law abiding citizens over potential privacy concerns. Some fear that the inclusions of mug shots in the searchable database would put the information of innocent individuals — like address and other contact information — in the hands of any officer capable of snapping a quick photo. Even more troubling is the potential for a MORIS scanner to fall into the hands of a criminal, who could glean a plethora of your information without you even knowing it.
The first batch of 1,000 MORIS devices will be distributed to police organizations around the country by September. Each unit carries a $3,000 price tag, not to mention the expensive iPhone it operates with. There are plans to make Android-compatible MORIS devices, but no date has been set for their release.
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