“Real-time facial recognition” typically refers to continuous biometric monitoring. But this applies equally to real-time viewing experiences, as warnings about facial recognition give way to real-world examples of risks to data security. As human rights groups in the UK and US push back against the use of facial recognition tools by law enforcement, the breaches in India highlight the reality of their concerns.
'Valerie' hacks into Tamil Nadu Police's facial recognition database
A breach of the facial recognition portal of the Tamil Nadu police has resulted in 800,000 rows of data leaked, including information on more than 50,000 people, The New Indian Express and Medianama reported. The breach, which was exposed by threat intelligence platform FalconFeeds.io, is the work of a group calling itself “Valerie” and has claimed responsibility. Stolen data from five datasets was found to be sold on the dark web, including police officers' names, phone numbers, police station information, and First Information Reports (FIRs). Contains details.
According to Nandakishore Harikumar, owner of FalconFeeds.io, “Details from the FIR, including personal identification information (of the accused and suspects), have been stolen, which could potentially trick families into paying.” For example, a call from a specific police department and a call claiming to have personal identifying information can lead family members to believe the call is genuine, leading to them sending money to the scammer. ” The compromised administrator account has been deactivated.
The facial recognition system in the Tamil Nadu Police was first introduced in 2021. The system uses biometric software developed by CDAC (Center for Advanced Computing Development) Kolkata. The system is intended to be used by police officers on patrol who need to verify information about potential suspects, and as there are no formal criteria for identifying a person, a facial scan is required. It has been criticized for giving too much permission to police when making decisions about people. Suspect.
Indian government continues adoption of facial recognition across law enforcement agencies
Authorities across India continue to enthusiastically deploy facial recognition systems, undeterred by the potential risks of hoarding large honeypots of biometric data vulnerable to breaches and attacks.
India Today reported that the government of Meghalaya, northeast India, will deploy 300 facial recognition cameras and algorithmic software across the city of Shillong to deter criminal activities. “Work is already underway, with high-level cameras installed at various intersections,” Premier Conrad Sangma said.
Jammu and Kashmir police have introduced an AI-based facial recognition system to monitor vehicles passing through the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway tunnel, according to an article in News Intervention. The system's high-focus CCTV cameras capture the faces of drivers and passengers and analyze them against image databases of militants, ground workers and criminals.
The Telangana Police Department is looking for a service provider for implementation of Automated Multimodal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS), an upgrade of the existing Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), Medianama said. The move is being facilitated by the new Criminal Procedure Code (Identification Cards) of 2022, which gives law enforcement authorities the power to collect biometric data such as iris scans, facial images, fingerprints, and footprints.
Police biometrics come from Japan but are subject to domestic ethics
While India continues on its path to digital transformation by touting mega-projects such as Aadhaar and Digi Yatra, much of the underlying technology comes from Japan, and as per a report in The Wire, Japan The company also supplies many police forces in India. “Biometric authentication in India is now ubiquitous in daily life, from unlocking mobile phones to its use everywhere where Aadhaar is compulsory,” wrote Srinivas Kodali. ing. “But the real danger of these technologies lies in the policing and surveillance of Indian citizens.”
Kodari said the Japanese company NEC has been supporting India's technology infrastructure since the 1950s and is currently providing biometric tools to Indian law enforcement agencies. “NEC's extensive experience in this field gives us an advantage compared to other national and international organizations operating in India,” he wrote.
That NEC has provided facial recognition capabilities to the police is not surprising given that it also provides the technology used to build Aadhaar and Digi Yatra, he says. Reliance on Japanese technology is also part of a way to avoid outsourcing critical infrastructure projects to China, but Kodali said it does not address the issue of potential abuse by domestic customers. “Although the NEC itself has a human rights policy, the Indian organization is known to have many companies, including those in the private sector, abusing such systems.”
Article topics
Biometrics | Biometrics | Criminal ID | Facial Recognition | India | Police