Andy McCarthy at NRO says
The NYTimes reports that the Department of Homeland Security has given up on a plan to use fingerprint or facial recognition technology to track whether foreign visitors have left the country. Congress ordered the system in 1996. It was supposed to be in place at the 50 busiest border crossing points by the end of next year. DHS, however, has concluded the cost would be prohibitive with currently available technology.
and titles it "Border Security, R.I.P." -- as if cancelling this one program shreds what little border security we have.
Andy, I watch Las Vegas pretty religiously, and every time Mike and Danny use the face recognition software to instantly identify crooks trying to fleece the casino, I snort uncontrollably. That technology failed miserably when a few airports tested it a few years ago, and if it's gotten any better, I'd be surprised.
Profiling would be a lot less costly and it would zero in better on the folks we are most concerned about. If we would just admit it and stop pandering to the Perpetually Indignant who don't like it, we'd be on the road to a much safer and more hassle-free air travel experience.
PS just to add: I believe that the LV writers are using the facial recognition technology as a plot device to move the stories along, actually (why waste valuable broadcast time calling the FBI or the local cops to try to identify someone if you can do it instantaneously with your huge database of faces and names?). This would seem to be an unconcious nod to the original Star Trek series, which conceived the plot device of the transporter in order to avoid having to create and show long (expensive) sequences involving shuttle landings and rendezvouses. But what do I know.
