UK police to wield mobile fingerprint scanners, facial recognition up next

Surely your remember Project Lantern from back in 2006, right? If you weren't too fond of that initiative, let's just say your worst nightmare is coming true. Going forward, every police force in the UK will be equipped with mobile fingerprint scanners, which will allow the fuzz to carry out identity checks right on the street. Dubbed Project Midas, this here setup is supposed to "transform the speed of criminal investigations"while simultaneously freaking out anyone remotely concerned about personal privacy; in fairness, cops insist that fingerprints scanned via these portable devices will not be stored or added to databases, and we're told that they'll only be used " when they suspect an individual of an offense and can't establish his / her identity." The £30 million ($47.5 million) to £40 million ($63.4 million) initial phase should hit widespread deployment within 18 months, and in case you thought it was over after this, you should probably know that facial recognition in the field is the next top priority.

[Via Pocket-lint, image courtesy of SpringCard]

[frankz @ Oct 27th 2008 11:06AM]

fucking hell

[Matthew Hilario @ Oct 27th 2008 12:12PM]

ladders beware!

[Ebzy @ Oct 27th 2008 12:15PM]

F*cking hell indeed.

The description of England from "V for Vendetta" is slowly coming true.

[Samboini @ Oct 27th 2008 2:28PM]

Fucking hell, this is excellent, I think it was you meant! Someone please let me know i'm not on my own in backing this initiative? Seriously, crime is getting way out of hand nowadays.

[Rahul @ Oct 27th 2008 11:10AM]

It is no wonder that Europe has a negative birthrate.
How bad do things have to be that the people of a nation are not even happy enough to make babies?
USA is not far off from this after Obama gets into office, him and Biden love this kind of stuff.

[Grant @ Oct 27th 2008 11:17AM]

I don't know about that, they all seem like pretty terrible choices. They slipped the National ID card bullshit into that bill which tried to boost monies that the troops in Afghan were to receive. When the Dem ticket comes out and says that packing a bill full of bvllsh!t stops, and I believe them, then I'd finally seriously consider voting for them... then I would realize they were probably lying like usual. :( no hope

[JamesR @ Oct 27th 2008 11:19AM]

You mean things like the Patriot Act? Oh wait....

[Kwai Noi @ Oct 27th 2008 12:25PM]

3 times this year I have had my fingerprints and iris scanned returning into the USA from Asia. I was born in the USA and fought in 2 wars for it.

Seeing things like this and the Patriot Act and the wholesale unwarranted wiretapping of US citizens really makes me proud that I left an arm and a leg in Korea.

(If you can't tell I'm being a little bitter and sarcastic)

[BigD145 @ Oct 27th 2008 12:56PM]

More people = more happy? I beg to differ. The land, and oceans, can only give you so many resources like food and water. Too many people = mass famine. I'd say Europe is setting itself up for the long haul.

I do not agree with this fingerprinting. Cops are crazy and tech is fallible. Random people are going to be arrested for doing nothing wrong. At least there's fewer people all around, so fewer random people will be nabbed.

[FarewellTransmission @ Oct 27th 2008 11:13AM]

Soon I won't be able to take a crap in my own home without needing signed forms from the rozzers.

When are they releasing the fingerprint eraser from Men in Black?

[Artie Lange @ Oct 27th 2008 12:04PM]

Who are these "Rozzers"? They sound nosey.

[BigD145 @ Oct 27th 2008 12:58PM]

You could just boil up a pot of water and grab the pan. That should take care of your fingerprints. It's a good thing you aren't in the US, because that sort of thing will get you on an FBI watch list and potentially charges put against you. You'll never be able to get a job with any sort of security clearance.

[Wwhat @ Oct 27th 2008 11:13AM]

"cops insist that fingerprints scanned via these portable devices will not be stored or added to databases"
Ha .. Ha.. freaking Ha :[

Funny how one keeps forgetting the bloody fascist thing up new crap every 4 days and get full support.

[maxz @ Oct 27th 2008 11:23AM]

And how exactly do you store fingerprint information without putting it into a database?

[chad @ Oct 27th 2008 12:07PM]

@maxz
I think they're suggesting that fingerprints scanned using this device will only be compared against those already in the database to try to identify someone as a known criminal. But, I can believe they're going to scan fingers and not store them... sounds like bullshit. Don't they have to arrest you for something to take your fingerprint anyway?

[rozza1 @ Oct 27th 2008 2:49PM]

I use the old lantern devices every day... yes i am a rozza.
As Chad says.. the devices take 2 fingerprints, transmit them, and compare them against the national fingerprint database, and return a name , date of birth and reference number if it makes a match. If you've never had your fingerprints taken by the police, it wont identify you. in my experience, its very accurate.

No personal data (ie name/address etc) is entered into the device, only the operators ID number for security. The scanned fingerprints are not stored in the device.
We use it everyday, i work in a high crime area where people regularly give false details to avoid being identified (for example they know theyre wanted on a warrant, or are a disqualified driver) This system is purely used to identify someone for the purpose of prosecution. Its not randomly used, and generally only if they have no other form of ID, and you suspect them of hiding theyre identity.
The old saying stands.. if you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear..

[hitsthings @ Oct 27th 2008 5:47PM]

"If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear."

THE OLD SAYING DOESN'T STAND.

People abuse power.
We are slowly giving up our civil liberties.
We should all fear. Seriously.

[paul-engadget @ Oct 27th 2008 7:20PM]

if you have nothing to hide/fear then answer me this, rozza:

how much do you earn?

how often do you masturbate?

what's your name and address, and badge number?

all of these questions and answers can apply to anyone, there should be no shame in sharing that information, right?

[Wwhat @ Oct 27th 2008 7:28PM]

In britain they take not only your prints willy nilly without any official arrest, but they also take samples of your DNA, even of schoolkids just in case they ever do a crime, you might not believe it but britain is actually worse than bush's clan on that front.

[Gumbo @ Oct 27th 2008 8:06PM]

people who say "if you have nothing to hide..." should stop kidding themselves; much of the law in the UK is outdated, nonsensical and irrelevant.

The fact that ~250,000 britons a month risk 7 years in prison to take a drug that is safer than alcohol or cigarettes says it all.

[Mike Gumn @ Oct 27th 2008 8:13PM]

I dont know what everyone is so upset about.

even if they do keep your records they'll loose them pretty quick

[KA @ Oct 28th 2008 2:29PM]

@ Mike,

That's what were so scared of.

[StalematE @ Oct 27th 2008 11:20AM]

the word "insist" isn't reassuring

[dervheid @ Oct 27th 2008 11:23AM]

"cops insist that fingerprints scanned via these portable devices will not be stored or added to databases"
Right....
And we all still believe that the earth is flat, the centre of the known universe, that the moon is made from green cheese, and that man has never, ever walked on it's surface.

Well, that's me reassured then.

Time to dig out the caustic soda.

[Sukhminder @ Oct 27th 2008 11:27AM]

Identity Card Act - Very Orwellian. They want all your information, stored in a giant database. Oh, and you must carry your ID card with you, which contains this information. They say its only going to be applied to new immigrants, but many academics argue it will eventually be expanded to include all citizens, since it's impossible to have an effective system without having everyone a part of it.

Cost? LSE estimates 18b GBP. You have to ask why? Terrorism? The Brits have been dealing with terrorism for a long time, "The Troubles". Historically, no common law country has ID cards, so Britain will be the first to introduce it since WWII. The British public is sleep walking into a surveillance (1984) society.

Took a class on Civil Liberties last year, hence the rant.

[paul-engadget @ Oct 27th 2008 7:22PM]

if the money to be wasted on ID cards was invested on fusion power, better road safety, new hospitals, far FAR more lives ever year would be saved than any that might be lost to terrorism EVER.

[Boarderwoot @ Oct 27th 2008 11:28AM]

so, what they're saying is that if they cant identify someone they'll scan their fingerprints. This scan won't be added to any database, but if they're scanned then their identity comes up, meaning that they're in some database already...right?

[ITRanger @ Oct 27th 2008 2:14PM]

This is just a long list of our rights to privacy being suppressed in this country. There is not a week that goes by on Engadget that doesn't mention the UK and technology being used to control its citizens.

BTW don't confuse the UK with Europe, they wouldn't stand for this stuff!

Sadly, as always, it's entirely due to the UK overlords that think they rule this land.

As usual the meek get trodden on ...

[michas_pi @ Oct 27th 2008 11:30AM]

"Citizen, place your right index finger here."

Kind of like in The Island.

[Cellenin @ Oct 27th 2008 11:40AM]

I wonder if lord Obama the merciful will enact such a measure to make sure those whom that dare not following him are tracked and harass.....like Joe The Plumber.

[phanbouy @ Oct 27th 2008 12:24PM]

keep spamming those GOP smear memes troll

[DirtyVegas @ Oct 27th 2008 11:55AM]

No worries. Lord Xenu will save us soon.

[Duncan @ Oct 27th 2008 11:57AM]

Basically, anyone over here who's been held by the police have their
fingerprints etc done (even if they're not charge with a crime). So
its only going to idenfity people who are on the criminal database,
the criminal database over here appears to have the same sort of data
that the FBI IAFIS system has.

[Richy @ Oct 27th 2008 12:00PM]

I don't know why they've called this 'Project Midas'...

Everything UK.Gov touches turns to shite.

[Jim @ Oct 27th 2008 12:00PM]

Oh, I'm sure THEY won't store it on the device.

But, something tells me the query for comparisons won't be run locally, since I doubt they store hundreds of gigs worth of fingerprints on their little devices. So, let's see how it works:

1) Scan Your finger on device
2) Type in what you say your name is
3) UPLOAD scan to central location (um, that means it goes saved)
4) Start comparing fingerprint
5) Return matches (or lack of matches)
6) Let you go about your business (or blackbag you for the extreme tin-foil consumers)

Something tells me that you can review searches, etc. So, Step 3 means they have your fingerprint forever immortalized without a warrant or arrest.

[KA @ Oct 27th 2008 1:10PM]

I imagine it *would* be run locally. If it had to be online to work, it wouldn't work underground. This was one of the things they were working on after July 7.

If it was going to be online, anyone could pick it up. Given how the government doesn't know how to encrypt a CD, I don't think they could possibly manage a wireless connection.

Actually, that sounds like exactly the sort of thing the government would do.

[Richy @ Oct 27th 2008 12:02PM]

The other big problem with this is that if you refuse to hand over your finger for scanning, the Pigs will arrest you on some trumped up charge (no doubt to do with Terrorism), and then finger print you anyway. And DNA test you.

The PACE act allows the Police to take and store your DNA even if you're never charged with anything, let alone found 'not guilty'.

There is no more presumed innocent in the UK...

[Cellenin @ Oct 27th 2008 12:10PM]

Makes it easier to track and kick out illegals?

[phanbouy @ Oct 27th 2008 12:25PM]

right wing nutjobs love limitless-power authoritarian governments don't they?

[Magallanes @ Oct 27th 2008 2:39PM]

Not really, illegal can be detected a mile away.

[Chris @ Oct 27th 2008 12:20PM]

On a similar note, the plan to implement a database monitoring citizens internet activity (web sites visited, emails sent, IM chats) is still in the works. There is a petition online that you can sign opposing such plans (I know, you have to fill in personal details to do it, but, grand scheme of things people). Please sign the petition (If you are British) and pass it on to as many people as you can.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/privacy-matters/

[KA @ Oct 27th 2008 1:24PM]

And please High Rank Chris too. His comment should stand out!

[Wwhat @ Oct 28th 2008 1:41PM]

The EU already decided to demand members to do the db, it's a done deal, only choice is how long it's saved which has a margin of optionality.

[helixtimestwo @ Oct 27th 2008 12:23PM]

"Those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither and will lose both."

[Max @ Oct 27th 2008 12:29PM]

Is it the same device we see in the movie Eagle Eye, when they scan the death man finger?

[phanbouy @ Oct 27th 2008 12:49PM]

"death man finger"

just got a great new band name

[Chris @ Oct 27th 2008 1:03PM]

It looks like it could be. I know what your talking about, the one guy dies from the power lines and the FBI picks up his charred thumb and scans it to see who it was.

[Dave @ Oct 27th 2008 12:31PM]

These kinds of things are occurring in both the US and Europe. What I find amazing is that few people seem to want these sorts of things, they're really expensive, and it's the taxpayer (aka "suspected terrorist) that foots the bill.

[ilh @ Oct 27th 2008 12:54PM]

I've seen these in use, what's the big deal? If you knew how much hassle it is for the cops to sort stuff out on the road because of stupid chavs giving false names and crap like that then you'd realise the only people it hurts is those muppets. It just speeds up the investigation which they draw out because they're simply too stupid saying they "ant dun nowt" repeatedly when they 99% of the time have.
Hardly an invasion of privacy for "normal" folk as they won't be on the fingerprint databases so these will just give a negative response.

[evergreen @ Oct 27th 2008 4:41PM]

Shame you got low ranked....I 100% agree with you...cops have a hard enough time as it is, if this will make it easier for them, and speed up the process for the 'innocent' civilians then what's the problem?