dpnewell wrote:Just had my Jersey Driver's License renewed. They had to take a new picture. Eye glasses removed, neutral expression, no teeth showing. When I asked why, she said it was required under a new FEDERAL law, for a National Face Recognition Database. WTF? Anyone else heard of this one?
Just considering facial recognition to be an enhanced, digitized image/picture, not very unlike like the old photo image on your old license. That old photo on your license was in a database and highly likely digitized. facial recognition identification was possible from that image. Now, it is just being done when you are live (3D) as opposed to being taken from your picture (2D). On top of that, one could argue that facial recognition is really no different than your photo + skin color= hair color + eye color, all of which are already listed on the face of your old license and are in data bases.
Also, I don't think one's identity is privileged or constitutionally protected. For example, when lawfully stopped by law enforcement, merely refusing to identify one's self is a crime. And, even if one were to try to argue that facial identity is protected by the Fourth Amendment, the "open and obvious" exception would still apply.
Welcome to 2012. It's the new 2011!