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Ohio using facial recognition software with driver's license photos
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Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine confirmed Monday that local and state law enforcement have used facial-recognition software several thousand times since June to match images of possible suspects and victims to pictures on Ohio drivers’ licenses.
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine acknowledged Monday that he should have made a public announcement sooner about law- enforcement use of facial-recognition software to check driver’s license photos when trying to track down criminals.
DeWine also said he was forming a study group to review the program, which began in June, and to determine whether changes were needed to protect citizens’ privacy.
But the state’s top law- enforcement official stood by the decision to use the technology.
“In hindsight, if I had to do it over again, we would have put out a release the day it went up or before that,” DeWine said. “We did not do that. ... We have discussed this in meetings for the last several years. ... I never thought that it would be a big concern about it simply because over half the states do it.”
He added, “You’re going to save lives, you’re going to solve crimes, and we’ve already seen that across this country. ... For us not to do this would be a dereliction of our duty to the people of the state of Ohio to protect them.”
News of the facial-recognition software drew concern and criticism from David Pepper, a Democrat who hopes to unseat DeWine, a Republican, next year.
“It is highly irresponsible for the attorney general of Ohio to launch something this expansive and this intrusive into the lives of law-abiding citizens without ensuring the proper protocols were already in place to protect our privacy,” Pepper said in a released statement.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio called on DeWine to shut down the program until rules are in place governing its use.
“Without specific limits on what government can do with this technology, its use will inevitably and eventually spread to Ohioans who are not criminal suspects,” Assistant Director Gary Daniels said in a released statement.
But DeWine said the program is nothing “out of the ordinary.” Rather, it’s a natural extension of what law enforcement already does as part of criminal investigations.
Police have long had access to motor vehicle records, including driver’s license photos, DeWine said. The new system will quicken the process, enabling police to compare surveillance photos and other evidence with those of registered Ohio drivers to determine whether any potentially match.
As for potential misuse, DeWine said the facial-recognition software can be used only for legitimate law enforcement purposes. Anyone accessing the system inappropriately could face felony charges.
DeWine said he expects the new study group to provide recommendations for use of the system within a couple of months.