New York Governor Andrew M Cuomo has announced a major enhancement to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles' facial recognition programme.Cuomo said a new software solution would boost the programme's ability to unveil fraud, and remove high-risk drivers from the road.The improved system doubles the number of measurement points mapped to each digitized driver photograph to vastly improve the system's ability to match a photograph to one already in the database, said the governor.”This software is helping the DMV crack down on people who break the law and ultimately keep the roads safer for drivers and passengers,” said Governor Cuomo. “New York has quickly become a national leader in implementing this technology, and we will continue to raise the bar to ensure safer and more secure communities statewide.”Photos are run against more than 8,000 new photos taken each day at DMV offices statewide, as well as about 16 million photos already in DMV's database.The new system increases the number of measurement points on the face from 64 to 128, and allows for the ability to overlay images, invert colors, and convert images to black and white to better see scars and identifying features on the face. Different hair styles, glasses, and other features that change over time – including those that evolve as a subject ages – do not prevent the system from matching photographs. The Department will not issue a driver license or non-driver ID until the newly captured photograph is cleared through the new facial recognition system.New York State Executive Deputy Commissioner Terri Egan said, “DMV continues to use the latest technology to achieve our goal of 'one driver, one record' and keep New Yorkers safe by holding individuals accountable who try to exploit state licensing systems. I'm pleased that we are expanding the facial recognition program to catch motorists who shouldn't be on the road: those who evade tickets, commit fraud, and carry out extreme measures to disobey the law.”The Department's Division of Field Investigation first piloted facial recognition through asset forfeiture funds in 2008 and was continued through federal grants in the amount of $1.6 million in 2010 and $400,000 in 2013.It is primarily used to confirm the identities of individuals attempt to change, renew, or obtain more than one driver license or non-driver ID. The program also focuses on for-hire drivers and those with commercial driver licenses, due to their potential to put more people, especially those they are transporting, in danger.Meanwhile, a new pilot program is also helping investigators to work with other states to stop motorists who illegally obtain licenses from more than one state and use them to commit fraud in other states. This past summer, New York and New Jersey motor vehicle agencies became the first to cooperatively use facial recognition technology to combat license fraud and identity theft across state lines, leading to the arrests of three individuals for filing false instruments and falsifying business records.
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