http://news.yam.com/afp/international/200712/20071223090325.html
美聯調局著手建立全球最大生物辨識資料庫
法新社╱郭無患 2007-12-23 10:35     

 
（法新社華盛頓二十二日電）美國聯邦調查局發言人今天表示，聯邦調查局正在蒐集人頭照片、手拓和指紋資料，用以建立全世界規模最大的生理特徵資料庫，作為嫌疑份子身份辨識之用。

發言人庫克證實「華盛頓郵報」的相關報導。這項計畫若能順利完成，將使美國政府具備前所未有的能力來指認全世界各地的嫌犯。

庫克告訴法新社：「我們一直試圖更新與改進收集資料的過程和方法」，他補充指出，聯調局會重視隱私權；隱私權一直是美國推動收集安全資訊所面臨的爭議性問題。

華盛頓郵報說，聯調局計劃以一個十年委外計畫，大幅擴展其所收集生物辨識資訊的數量和種類，並已在西維吉尼亞州一座安全措施嚴密的聯調局建築裡，於資料庫貯存了數以百萬計的指紋資料。

報導引述聯調局主導這項計畫的資訊部門說明，調查人員能使用資料經由眼球虹膜、臉型、疤痕、以及甚至嫌犯的走路和說話方式來辨嫌犯。

庫克表示，聯調局希望利用全新高科技來收集資料。郵報報導透露，這項計畫估計將耗資大約十億美元，不過，庫克不願加以證實字。

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071222/pl_afp/ussecuritydatabase_071222192155
FBI building vast biometric database

Sat Dec 22, 2:21 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Federal Investigation Bureau is hoarding mugshots, handprints and fingerprints to make the world's biggest database of physical characteristics for security identification, a spokesman said Saturday.

Richard Kolko confirmed a report by the Washington Post of the project, which if successfully completed would give the US government unprecedented ability to identify suspects around the world.

"We are consistently trying to update and improve the process and way to collect information," he told AFP, adding that there would be an emphasis on privacy rights, a controversial aspect of the United States' drive to gather data for security.

The report said the FBI plans to award a 10-year contract to significantly expand the amount and type of biometric information it receives, and was already storing millions of fingerprints in the database at a secure FBI complex in West Virginia.

Investigators would be able to use data to identify criminals by their irises, the shape of their face, scars and even the way they walk and talk, the report said, citing the FBI's information services division operating the project.

Kolko said the FBI aimed to take advantage of new technology in its data gathering. The Post said the project would cost a billion dollars, but Kolko could not confirm the figures involved.

US authorities have already been collecting iris scans, fingerprints and mugshots from detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan among others. They also scan fingerprints, and in some cases irises, of arrivals at US airports.

The vast underground complex housing the database that the FBI is developing already contains 55 million sets of electronic fingerprints, the newspaper said.