The FBI to begin using its facial recognition or Next Generation Identification System (NGI)

Facial recognition is a key part of the FBI's ambitious $1 billion Next Generation Identification System (NGI) -- a state-of-the-art biometric identification system that also includes iris scans, DNA analysis and voice identification. The mission is to reduce terrorist and criminal activity by improving and expanding biometric identification as well as criminal history information services. (To find out more about the FBI's NGI system click these links here, here, here and here.)

Amie Stepanovich, the director of the domestic surveillance project at the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington D.C. argues that Facebook has the largest biometric database in the world, which could eventually compromise its users. In an interview with NPR, Stephanovich said: "No matter how much a company attempts to protect your privacy, if they're collecting information about you, that information is vulnerable to government search."http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/25/tech/embracing-big-brother-facial-recognition/