Argentina resort city launching live facial recognition with or without fugitive database

Stymied by the national Argentina government, a resort city on the Atlantic Coast will deploy facial recognition software that local officials feel will be hobbled.

Mar del Plata wants to use its video network to spot so-called fugitives of crimes committed in the city and in other part of the nation.

City leaders say they will boot up their software with or without cooperating from the Ministry of Justice, according to local reports.

That software will monitor 50 city cameras in real time, and all other public and private cameras within the municipality with retrospective facial recognition.

Officials of Mar del Plata reportedly have been trying since last year to negotiate with the Justice Minister for access to the face biometrics of 40,000 fugitives, according to 0223, an Argentina news publication.

The city’s security secretary, quoted in a 0223 article, said the national government has not directly responded to requests for talks.

The database in question (which reportedly is used in Buenos Aires) is called the National Consultation of Rebellions and Captures, or Conarc, according to a Google algorithm-translation of the article.

Local opposition to indiscriminate facial recognition has grown, with opponents saying that it harms the fundamental civil rights of anyone walking a city street.

Buenos Aires’ biometric surveillance was challenged in court on the same grounds and succeeded, albeit with restrictions.

According to reporting by 0223 the mayor of Mar del Plata already has asked for bids on installing the software. NtechLab is Buenos Aires facial recognition supplier.

City leaders have said their network would help spot missing and exploited children, the mentally ill who need help, kidnapers and people who commit violence against people based on gender bias.

Article Topics

Argentina  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  criminal ID  |  facial recognition  |  forensics