In fact, the technology is already in place in Australia. When Aussie drivers apply for licenses they'll have their pictures taken, and the new software will then measure three distances: the spaces between the eyes, nose, and mouth.
License applicants won't notice a drastic difference in the process, but they'll notice they are asked not to smile while the photo is being taken. The machines require a 'neutral expression' in order to pick up the correct measurements. According to creators of the facial recognition software, two photos of the same person can be mismatched if there is a strong expression in one versus the other.
Why all the fancy technology? Australia is using the calculations in comparison to the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) database, and if it appears that an applicant is trying to get a license under a different name the system will flag the authorities.
Although it's stated that the 'system is designed to prevent people who have had their license taken away from applying for a second one,' stopping 'license cheats' is only the skin-deep argument.
The deeper issue is identity theft. According to David Borger, the state of New South Wales' assistant transport minister, 'Identity fraud costs Australia more than $3.5 billion a year.' That's about a third of a percent of the nation's entire gross domestic product, almost as much as New South Wales spends on its entire road system in a year.
If it sounds like things are getting all Minority Report in the land Down Under, well, that's nothing compared to what could potentially happen in the U.S." ...more
