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ICE's Supercharged Facial Recognition App of 200M Images

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Re: ICE's Supercharged Facial Recognition App of 200M Images

#21
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When the founder of Palantir donates a ton of money -- as well as one of his acolytes to be the VP -- it would be more surprising if this DIDN'T happen. This is precisely the kind of thing the angry right wing would be up in arms about (maybe even literally) if it wasn't their side pushing for it. The billionaire party owns both political parties; they shuffle the front-people to give the illusion of choice. In reali…

I believe strongly that most of this work has been done prior to the current president taking office. What you say may be true and we will see what comes in the future, but dont for a moment believe that all these things are due to the current, nor that previous was fighting to stop it.

Many of the weapons now wielded by Trump (ICE, AUMF, DHS, Guantanamo, etc) were introduced under Bush II.

Re: ICE's Supercharged Facial Recognition App of 200M Images

#22

> The app represents an unprecedented linking of government databases into a single tool, including from the State Department, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the FBI, and state records I think we're well past the point of stopping these dystopian practices given the government has already collected this data. They're merely using it how they want. If you go through customs as a US citizen, you don't even need t…

> If you go through customs as a US citizen, you don't even need to hand over your passport: they just scan your face now.

It's always amazed me how well this works when they are scanning you with the same 2015-era cheap logitech camera I have.

Re: ICE's Supercharged Facial Recognition App of 200M Images

#23

> The app represents an unprecedented linking of government databases into a single tool, including from the State Department, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the FBI, and state records I think we're well past the point of stopping these dystopian practices given the government has already collected this data. They're merely using it how they want. If you go through customs as a US citizen, you don't even need t…

I agree - but technology is just a tool here. The Stasi famously had a network of human informants to notice and collect information. Going forward it would be nice if we stopped letting these mobs grab power but it's too late, so maybe the effort should be focused on using tools like this to our advantage. Surely there must be some value to the populous to track their oppressors and those that control them - have yo…

> so you can watch the watchers

Watch in what way? And would it matter seeing as they have the full force of the government behind them anyway?

Re: ICE's Supercharged Facial Recognition App of 200M Images

#24
post #20
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it is made with public money, and as it can't be stopped, it should just be made available to the general public and businesses. I think that should be applied to all the government collected info (except for narrow cases specifically excluded like health and IRS records - though i think IRS records also should be public)

That sounds like a perfect way to make a disastrous situation an order of magnitude more disastrous.

That thinking is how we're getting more and more power asymmetry between government and society. The government knows everything about everybody (even if today it is 90% true it will be 100% tomorrow anyway), and thus has unlimited power over everybody. The only way to defang such power is to make the info public from the beginning.

Re: ICE's Supercharged Facial Recognition App of 200M Images

#25
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe strongly that most of this work has been done prior to the current president taking office. What you say may be true and we will see what comes in the future, but dont for a moment believe that all these things are due to the current, nor that previous was fighting to stop it.

Many of the weapons now wielded by Trump (ICE, AUMF, DHS, Guantanamo, etc) were introduced under Bush II.

Exactly. Everyone screeching now should have listened to those weirdo civil liberties people 20yr ago.

You get the government you deserve.

I hope we can get this authoritarian phase over with quickly so that the people who actually made decisions, if only as minor as voting, can suffer for them rather than die peacefully leaving future generations to sort it out.

Re: ICE's Supercharged Facial Recognition App of 200M Images

#27
post #22

> The app represents an unprecedented linking of government databases into a single tool, including from the State Department, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the FBI, and state records I think we're well past the point of stopping these dystopian practices given the government has already collected this data. They're merely using it how they want. If you go through customs as a US citizen, you don't even need t…

> If you go through customs as a US citizen, you don't even need to hand over your passport: they just scan your face now. It's always amazed me how well this works when they are scanning you with the same 2015-era cheap logitech camera I have.

The "magic" is that they have it all joined with the database that tells them who crossed the other way recently, the flight database or the cruise ship database so it's not searching through millions of passport photos every time. They have a pretty good idea of the search space.

Re: ICE's Supercharged Facial Recognition App of 200M Images

#29

As a former MAGA it's just mind boggling to watch all the supposedly freedom loving GOP base clamor for mass digital surveillance and gestapo immigration raids. These same tools and policies will just be used against them in the future. Makes me question democracy.

The news of Palantir database was pretty unpopular among the twitter right from what I've seen. If it came to a public vote I doubt "government builds giant surveillance system" would get wide support from anyone even if it was spun as anti-immigrant.

This is just something the type of people who end up in government try every year despite the fact few people want it.

Re: ICE's Supercharged Facial Recognition App of 200M Images

#30

As a former MAGA it's just mind boggling to watch all the supposedly freedom loving GOP base clamor for mass digital surveillance and gestapo immigration raids. These same tools and policies will just be used against them in the future. Makes me question democracy.

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