RegardingID Archive | Biometric data being shared between U.S. and others

Monday, July 7, 2008

In an effort to gain more information on potential terrorists, insurgents, and militants abroad, the U.S. has begun sharing biometric data with other countries and agencies, according to a Washington Post report.

Since September 11th, the U.S. has been fingerprinting detainees and insurgents in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Eastern Africa with additional biometric data being sent from countries such as Colombia, Philippines and Sweden. When the prints are matched with existing prints in the U.S. databases, they realized that many of these people have criminal records in the U.S.

The program, run by the FBI, has been part of the government’s goal to build the largest database of suspected terrorists’ biometric data. The database is currently accessible to U.S. government agencies as well as the international police force, Interpol.

Read the full story here

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Biometric data being shared between U.S. and others