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Comment by imoverclocked | Hacker News Reader

> the agency has greenlighted a contract for a tool that can scan subjects’ irises

Where does the initial iris data come from? Is this actually collected now?

One likely source: https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/17/sam-altmans-worldcoin-beco...

Probably from the airport scanners and cameras I see everyone gleefully sticking their faces in. A savings of several minutes per flight!

Is this common? Airport scanners are usually face scanners. Iris scanners are almost always for employees with access to critical areas, not for travelers. I know Doha and Singapore airports use iris scanners at the security check. It's probably a growing trend, haven't seen any in the EU, is it already common in the US?

There used to be a scheme in the UK - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_Recognition_Immigration_S...

Iris scanners are not hard to implement from a few meters in a controlled environment like immigration.

I would assume Iris scanners are normal - but I couldn't find anything to corroborate that for immigration control in NZ (legally they can, and I thought the equipment did, but I couldn't verify).

The normal TSA pre-check lines make you scan your face too. They used to read "images are deleted after use" but I didn't notice that message last time I went through security. So likely it's being used by ICE now.

The customs line have been doing much more rigorous face scanning for a while now.

TSA allowed to opt-out of this photo the last time I flew. You may also opt-out of the body scan. Nobody does.

I have a bridge to sell anyone who thinks those are deleted after use.

I bet the airports are additionally recording gait using overhead cameras.

> Where does the initial iris data come from?

Visa photos. DACA applications [1]. Basically anyone who trusted the government at any point in the past.

It won't catch cartel members. But cocaine seems to be the one thing whose price this administration has driven down [2].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deferred_Action_for_Childhood_...

[2] https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/mexico-drugs-cartel-osegu... "Cocaine prices have fallen by nearly half to around $60 to $75 a gram compared with five years ago"

> "Basically anyone who trusted the government at any point in the past."

Over one million Afghanis voluntarily gave America their iris biometrics; now the Taliban has that data. US military negligently failed to secure it. Lists of American collaborators' biometrics and everything.

https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/taliban-afghanistan-biome... ("Taliban likely to have access to biometric databases of Afghan civilians who helped US" (2021))

everywhere

DOGE

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