Government initiates facial-recognition system, draws criticism over privacy 

New Delhi: A government initiated move to install an automated facial-recognition system (AFRS) that will help to identify criminals as well as missing persons and children, has drew criticism over privacy. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has commenced the process of installing AFRC that will host a web-based application of the AFRS at its data centre in Delhi with connectivity to police stations through the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS).

According to the document of request for proposal (RFP), the AFRS will be able to broadly match a suspect or criminal’s photograph with an existing image database available with the police or other agencies. Face image can be captured from CCTV feeds. The AFRS will also contain images of missing persons that can also be matched with the material with the investigation team. The image database can be created using images available with passports, prisons and state or national automated fingerprint identification system. The system offers logical algorithm and user-friendly graphical user interface to perform facial matching.

The RFP on the NCRB website clarifies that solution provider for AFRC will be selected through a bid. The submission date for the bid is announced as August 16 and opening of bids will be on August 19.

Even though, NCRB has claimed that AFRS will provide information that enables easier and faster analysis of crime and also will facilitate investigation of crime and detection of criminals, the cyber experts have raised data privacy and security issues. The privacy and transparency activists have expressed concern over misuse of the system for purposes other than criminal investigation. Considering the concern over privacy security, the reliability of the matches and possibility of use of system for profiling are being discussed.

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