Apologies for the inconvenience, but it is necessary to comply with the law regarding cookies. To effectively measure our readership and provide you with relevant ads, we store cookies on your device. If you're agreeable to this, please click "Accept all Cookies". For more information and to customize your settings, click "Customize Settings". Here's an overview of our cookie usage, similar technologies, and instructions on how to manage them. You can also modify your preferences at any time by clicking the "Your Consent Options" link in the website's footer. These essential cookies are vital for normal site navigation and the utilization of all features. Without them, we cannot provide you with the expected service. The purpose of these cookies is to enhance advertising messages by making them more pertinent to your interests. They perform functions such as preventing repetitive display of the same ad, ensuring accurate ad presentation for advertisers, and sometimes selecting ads based on your preferences. These aggregate cookies collect information to help us understand how our websites are used. They enable us to track visits and traffic sources for performance measurement and improvement. If people refuse these cookies, we are unable to know the number of visitors or monitor site performance. According to documents from the US Justice Department, the FBI is planning to utilize Amazon's controversial Rekognition cloud service for "extracting information and insights from lawfully acquired images and videos. " This project, named Tyr, is listed as being in the initiation phase for the FBI in the DOJ's Agency Inventory of AI Use Cases. The FBI intends to customize and employ the technology to review and identify items containing nudity, weapons, explosives, and other identifying information. The DOJ document doesn't provide a start date but mentions that the Feds will use a pre-built Rekognition-based system purchased from a third party.

While the FBI declined to comment, Amazon has yet to respond to our inquiries for a statement. In addition to facial recognition and analysis services, Amazon's Rekognition can search for objects in image and video libraries and identify inappropriate, unwanted, or offensive content, among other capabilities. Previously, Amazon pledged to indefinitely ban the police from using Rekognition, though some exceptions were allowed. However, this does not violate the commitment made by the cloud giant. It is worth noting that concerns about warrantless surveillance, particularly when conducted by the FBI, are increasing. Amazon recently announced the discontinuation of the Request for Assistance feature in its Neighbors app, which allowed law enforcement to request Ring video footage without a warrant. This decision was welcomed by advocates for data privacy and civil liberties. The response to the news of the FBI's use of Rekognition has been different. Jake Laperruque, deputy director of the Center for Democracy and Technology's Security and Surveillance Project, emphasized the need to examine both the practices of the FBI and Amazon in this space. Laperruque noted that the FBI permits broad use of facial recognition without requiring individuals to be designated as suspects, returns matches even if they are unreliable, and keeps the use of facial recognition hidden from defendants. He stressed that it would be deeply troubling if Amazon had reneged on its commitment not to sell facial recognition to law enforcement. As there are no federal laws restricting the invasive use of this technology by agencies like the FBI, Laperruque argues that backsliding is inexcusable. Since the publication of this article, Amazon has responded. Spokesperson Duncan Neasham stated that the FBI's utilization of Rekognition does not violate Amazon's ban on the police using the API's face-comparison features. Neasham reiterated that companies and government organizations should use new and existing technology responsibly and within the bounds of the law. Additionally, Amazon believes that governments should establish regulations governing the ethical use of facial recognition technology, and they are ready to assist in designing appropriate rules if requested. Regarding whether Amazon provided guidance or directives to the Feds on the safe and thoughtful use of Rekognition, the representative stated that they offer guidance to all Rekognition customers, including law enforcement, regarding proper and responsible usage through developer guides and Responsible AI policies.