Trial unearths new info about use of facial recognition

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Evidence uncovered during a trial in Jacksonville has led to new information being released about the use of facial-recognition technology by Florida law enforcement.

The Florida Times-Union reports (http://bit.ly/2fMMwWn ) that the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office detailed using a facial recognition database to identify a suspected crack dealer named Willie Allen Lynch.

The technology uses software to match a person's face with police and driver's license photos, and has been targeted by civil liberties advocates worried it could be abused.

Law enforcement agencies can tap into the database called Face Analysis Comparison Examination System, or FACES.

The newspaper reports that Florida's system is the largest in the U.S., with about 8,000 searches a month.

Defense attorneys questioned whether the information gleaned from the database is being shared properly during trial by law enforcement.

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Information from: The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union, http://www.jacksonville.com