NYT: Hurdles for High-Tech Efforts to Track Who Crosses Borders--Biometrics has a mixed record

New York Times ^ | August 10, 2005 | ERIC LIPTON

[OESY]

...Hoping to block the entry of criminals and terrorists into the United States and to improve the enforcement of immigration laws, government officials have... created enormous new repositories of digitally recorded biometric data including fingerprints and facial characteristics that can be used to identify more than 45 million foreigners. Federal agencies have also assembled data on more than 70 million Americans in an effort to speed law-abiding travelers through checkpoints and to search for domestic terrorists.

The immigration control and antiterrorism campaign was spurred by the Sept. 11 attacks and subsequent Congressional mandates to improve the nation's security. But the effort has fallen far short of its goals, provoking criticism that the government is committed to a technological solution so ambitious that it will either never work or be achieved only at an unacceptably high price....

The high cost comes from the extensive computer networks that must be built to tie together the data and make it accessible to United States officials around the world....

At six American airports, A.T.M.-like machines automatically read fingerprints and do eye scans of the irises of passengers enrolled in Registered Traveler, a Homeland Security Department program intended to speed the movement of "trusted travelers," who also had to undergo background checks.

The cost of the program has been modest, $20 million in the last two years. But many critics question its value. Relatively few passengers take part because they must still wait in line to pass through metal detectors and have their bags X-rayed....

Starting this week, the Homeland Security Department is testing a system that automatically tracks people as they cross land borders by issuing visas that transmit radio signals. But critics have pointed out that a person intent on circumventing the system could simply give his visa to someone else....

[OESY]

Scanned fingerprints can be viewed on a computer monitor.



A fingerprint ID scanner is used by the Border Patrol in Nogales, Ariz.



A biometrics system is used to screen passengers at Reagan National Airport in Washington.

* * *

COMMENT: Despite the NYT's transparent attempt to scuttle biometrics in favor of the less efficient fingerprinting system, the Times' own multimedia interactive graphic (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/politics/10biometrics.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5094&en=09705d9255cb76e8&hp&ex=1123732800&partner=homepage) shows the need for biometrics. Now in its infancy, biometric identification remains the wave of the future for controlling immigration (and incoming terrorists) in this country.

[CBart95]

More off-the-mark stuff from the vaunted NYT. X-files sci-fi crappola. Focus on hiding the matches while house is ablaze.
We are over-run with 30-million illegals right now.
Crime,overloaded social services, economic cancer,
lawsuits by Arab-oil funded civil rights lawfirms.
Gee! When will the mighty NYT see a connection between this and our war on worldwide terrorism?

Never, They are on the take too.

[GarySpFc]

Let's see, we have all of these precautions at the airports and ports, but not at the Mexican border. Our people have an IQ of 25 when it comes to homeland security.

[nerdwithamachinegun]

Ha Ha Big Brother Ping

Iris scans are the only reliable and fast biometric for what I work on.
You don't cheat the iris scan. I got a million war stories of guys trying to lie about their identity. Most are a variation of the couple that I shared with you, BillF and Leftistopher at lunch while I was back.

Facial recognition is a pipe dream.

I'm just kidding about Christopher. He's an opportunist more than a leftist.

[EagleUSA]

Our people have an IQ of 25 when it comes to homeland security.
-----
Just to clarify, Washington, DC, is the one with the IQ problem. Then include about half of the U.S. population that thinks all the Mexicans running around our country are legal citizens...

[taxed2death]

"Iris scans are the only reliable and fast biometric for what I work on.
You don't cheat the iris scan."

I don't know how others feel, but I think the iris scan is the way to go. It's non intrusive, 99.99% fool proof...and seems much better than carrying around "papers"...or having a bar code stamped on your forehead. (MOB)
LOL

[BufordP]

Leftistopher. That's funny but way too hard top pronounce.

[neverdem]

FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list. Anyone can post these other unrelated links as they see fit, i.e. the unposted ones.

Placenta Cells Share Characteristics of Embryo Cells Without Tumor Formation

Scientists crack DNA code of rice (good! now we can clone her)

'Extinct' Birds in Comeback But No Hope for Dodo

Diagnosis: Recognizing Strokes on Each Side of the Brain

Common dog tick can spread fatal fever

[bitt]

yo.

see this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1461671/posts

I haven't checked for your name yet, but am ready to submit it.

Time for you to be OUT THERE AGAIN!!!!!!!

[neverdem]

Time for you to be OUT THERE AGAIN!!!!!!!

I'm still here. I've had four wakes and Masses of Christian burial between family and friends in last 20 days.

I'm just not going to post health and medicine stories, except if it's a big story dealing with the government. The admin mods are just too fickle. Other folks can post the stories that I just link.

Most of the time, the links come from the NY Times, Washington Times, Washington Post, etc., all of which require excerpting, so folks have to go to their websites anyway. If more folks posted stories on health and medicine, maybe the admin mods wouldn't act so foolish.

[jammer]

I'm in the dark about that (and many would say about a lot of other things, also). I love your medicine posts. What's going on?

[bitt]

sorry to hear of all your losses, my FRiend.

do what you have to do...just ping me. :)