Facial Recognition Fighting ID Fraud

Facial-recognition software has identified roughly 1,600 questionable applications in the five months it has been in use — averaging about 320 a month

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By Paul Giblin

The Republic

The Arizona Department of Transportation has increased the number of potential fraudulent ID cases it has detected by about 860 percent, on average, since implementing facial-recognition technology earlier this year.

The $2.7 million software package examines photos of people applying for driver’s licenses and state identification cards at Motor Vehicle Division offices and at authorized private-sector providers’ offices.

The software analyzes applicants’ facial features and alerts workers if a new photo matches one that is already in the driver’s license database for a different person. The intent is to detect fraud, forgery and identity theft.

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