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Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Ind. Law - More on: "Smiling, glasses and hats taboo for driver's license photos"

Updating ths ILB entry from yesterday, Lesley Stedman Weidenbener reports today in the Louisville Courier Journal:

The Bureau of Motor Vehicles has imposed new restrictions on anything -- from smiling to wearing glasses and scarves and hats -- that would hamper facial recognition software from distinguishing one driver's looks from another's.

"The technology looks at the permanent physical features of the face," BMV spokesman Dennis Rosebrough said. "Because people smile differently, it can in effect distort the photograph. A straight-faced photograph enhances the effectiveness of the technology."

About 20 other states -- including Kentucky -- use facial recognition technology to detect fraud in driver's licenses. But not all states are as restrictive as Indiana.

Kentucky law prohibits drivers from wearing sunglasses or any clothing that obstructs the face but says nothing about smiles or prescription glasses. It leaves the final say on photos to circuit court clerks, who issue the licenses.

The most interesting part of the story is what is being done with the new BMV photos:
The systems work by checking new license photos against others in the states' databases. Rosebrough said the systems are looking for people using multiple names or the same name but different photos.

"If there's a mismatch, the software will pop up with an exception, and then we'll begin the process of examining it," he said.

* * * Indiana started the program Nov. 18, when it installed new branch cameras that self-center the photos and assist with the recognition software.

So far, Indiana officials say they are getting 500 to 600 hits a day, which amounts to a sort of preliminary match from the computer system that raises questions about a photo. Rosebrough said that's a manageable number and that the vast majority of issues are resolved quickly.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on December 9, 2008 07:58 AM
Posted to Indiana Law