NSA is 'creating huge facial recognition database by taking millions of images off the internet'

US National Security Agency collecting 55,000 'facial recognition quality images' per day out of millions being intercepted

Facial recognition program accelerated under Obama administration after foiled terror plots

NSA: No access to state ID pictures or passports of American citizens

The NSA is building a comprehensive facial recognition database through the intercepting of millions of photographs posted online everyday, according to a report from the New York Times published Saturday.

According to the report, which cites top-secret documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the NSA intercepts 'millions of images per day', which translates into approximately 55,000 'facial recognition quality images.' According to a 2011 document cited in the report, this is regarded by the agency as 'tremendous untapped potential'.

The report also says that the implementation of a facial recognition program has accelerated under the Obama administration, after two thwarted terrorist attacks, the first attempted in 2009 by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian, when he attempted to trigger a bomb hidden in his underwear while flying to Detroit on Christmas in 2009. The second was in May 2010, when Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-American, attempted a car bombing in Times Square.

Documents obtained from the leak by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden show that the NSA is attempting to develop a facial recognition database, culling approximately 55,000 quality facial images from millions of intercepted photos everyday

Farouk Abdulmutallab (pictured left) and Faisal Shahzad (pictured right), who both attempted terror attacks on US soil. These attacks reportedly prompted the Obama administration to allow the development of the NSA's facial recognition programs to accelerate



According to the documents cited in the report, the NSA has broadened the scope of their surveillance techniques, by focusing on collecting identifiers such as facial photos and fingerprints in addition to traditional oral and written communication.

'It’s not just the traditional communications we’re after' says one 2010 document, 'It’s taking a full-arsenal approach that digitally exploits the clues a target leaves behind in their regular activities on the net to compile biographic and biometric information that can help “implement precision targeting."'



The NSA has so far had mixed results with the accuracy of their facial recognition technology. An NSA Powerpoint from 2011 reportedly demonstrated the facial recognition of an unidentified man, who appeared in different photographs in different as at times bearded, while other times clean-shaven.

The slideshow presented several points of information about the man, such as his passports, visa, status on the TSA's no-fly list, and suspected relationship with terrorist groups.

NSA Headquarters, in Fort Meade, Maryland. According to reports, the NSA is attempting to develop more sophisticated facial recognition programs to better identify individuals through photographs

However, the facial recognition algorithms used by the NSA have also been known to return with invalid results. In another 2011 document, the NSA's system processed a query using a photograph of Osama bin Laden. Results were returned with four other bearded men, who's faces only looked slightly like bin Laden.

This revelation of the NSA's farming of images online to collect facial pictures is similar to the discovery earlier this year that the British GCHQ intercepted streamed webcam chats from users of Yahoo. The discovery, publicized by the Guardian and also based on leaked documents from Snowden, revealed that 1.8 million users had their privacy compromised. According to that report, up to 11 per cent of the pictures taken contained 'undesirable nudity.'

American law currently does not provide specific protections for facial images. However, the NSA is still required to get court approval for communications collected of American citizens. These include photographs in addition to emails and telephone conversations.

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, who provided the documents used by the New York Times for their latest report, as well as documents used by other news outlets in reporting alleged privacy infringements by the NSA

According to an NSA spokeswoman who spoke with the New York Times, the NSA does not have access to state driver's license pictures, nor passport photos. The spokeswoman declined to say whether or not the NSA was collecting facial imagery of Americans through social media.

In the documents cited by the New York Times, one of the tools used by the NSA to collect facial images is a program called Wellspring, which strips out images from emails and other communications, and displays those that might contain passport images. Additionally, the NSA uses commercially available facial recognition technology, including PittPatt, a small company purchased by Google in mid-2011.











