Smartphones To Collect Biometric Data

Mick Meaney
RINF Alternative News

iris

Perhaps even more startling than the government’s little-known Rapid DNA project, the U.S. Department of Defense begun a new project that will turn smartphones into devices that can collect biometric data.

The DoD has awarded a $3 million research contract to technology firm AOptix to develop the technology.

The company will provide the DoD with hardware and software that can turn commercially available smartphones into invasive accessories that have the ability to record and send iris scans, face scans, thumb prints and the users voice.

The “Smart Mobile Identity” platform also has the ability to record biometric data at a distance and completion of the project is not expected until after 2014.

The DoD awarded the contract based on a demonstration by the firm at the Biometrics Consortium Conference in September.

AOptix will also work CACI International Inc, an information solutions and services provider.

According to a press release, Dean Senner, Chairman and CEO of AOptix said:

“We are pleased to have been selected by the DoD for this important project which will leverage our next-generation Smart Mobile Identity platform. Users of these systems in-field will benefit from a more compact, lightweight, versatile and accurate identity verification device than has previously been available. We are especially pleased to be working with CACI, leveraging its experience deploying sophisticated solutions for government agencies.”

Initially, it has been claimed that the biometric enabled phones will only be used by soldiers and marines on patrol that need to record information about suspicious individuals, but as we seen all too often with invasive technology, it is usually developed under one pretense and used under another.

We must ask ourselves; do we really trust the U.S. Government with the data it collects?

During the Iraq war, the U.S. Central Command gathered and kept the biometric information of three million people.

Big brother won’t just be watching, he’ll be smelling you too. Right now Darpa-funded projects are also creating even more invasive biometric technology that can scan the area around your eye, the way you walk and even your odor.