Australian Government Upgrading National Biometric Database To Include Millions Of Driver's Licenses

Within a few months, millions of driver's licenses will reportedly start to be added to the newly upgraded Australian national biometric database, that's allegedly supposed to help authorities fight back against identity theft, terrorism, and other crimes.

Within 18 months, it's alleged that the database will include every Australian drivers license.

With this newly upgraded database, it's going to enable authorities to utilize CCTV footage to bring up possible suspects by linking it with data that's been previously compiled. This move to incorporate the license data also comes a few weeks after the government announced that they were going to scrap their plans to move forward with the national biometric database. The contract with the company that was expected to update the government's biometric database was recently terminated, under alleged project delays which were the reason for termination. Millions of dollars in funding from the government has allegedly already been allocated to this project.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission previously suspended the biometric database project that was arranged with the company who had won the contract to bring it to full realization. But there are commercial negotiations that are reportedly still ongoing over the matter.

Some might be surprised to learn that the government has previously allegedly entered into discussions with telecommunications companies to talk about the opportunity of selling them access to their national database.

For some time now, authorities in Australia have already been able to use CCTV footage and run that against their national database which includes passport photos and more. Experts have warned that this database could be used to wrongfully target innocent people, giving authorities too many “possible matches” when they go looking for links between CCTV footage and their database, they say that it would give them too many suspects to track down rather than focusing on a few or one that's truly worth the investigation.

Just a few months ago, new bills were introduced into the Australian parliament that were seeking to formalize their new arrangement for the national biometric databse. With the passage of those bills it would enable law enforcement agencies to collectively utilize the database, sharing information and accessing the database in real time.

A recent ANU poll revealed that many of Australians are living in fear today, with an estimated 45 percent who are concerned that they might potentially become the victim of a terror attack; or that their loved ones might.

56 percent reportedly believe that the government isn't doing enough to try and stop terror either, which means hat there are many who would likely embrace the upgrade to the national biometric database in the name of safety.

This commitment that authorities have pledged to share biometric information will only fuel a further erosion of personal privacy. Legal experts have also pointed out that not only will it be risky to privacy, but that it will be costly and that it's unnecessary.

Pics:
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