Privacy security

FBI's face-recognition system searches 411 million photos

It includes access to the Department of State's database of passport and visa applications, and driver's license databases for 16 states. Currently, the FBI is negotiating with 18 additional states to access their databases.

Last month, the FBI asked that its database be exempt from some parts of the Privacy Act. The NGI program also collects other biometric data including fingerprints and iris scans. Outside law enforcement agencies can also request searches of the database.

GAO recommended the Attorney General look into why required privacy impact reports were not published by the FBI. It also asked the FBI to conduct tests on the system to determine its accuracy and false positive rates, hold annual reviews of the NGI system and audit each database used by the FACE system to determine if they're accurate enough for FBI searches.