Dems wave hands, stomp feet about ICE using mobile face recognition app (www.theregister.com)

Seven Democratic senators led by Edward Markey have demanded that ICE immediately stop using a mobile biometric app called Mobile Fortify and answer detailed questions about its deployment, accuracy, and data practices. The letter, sparked by reporting from 404 Media, frames the app as a civil-rights threat because it lets agents point a smartphone at a face or photo to retrieve identity details without traditional detention or a stationary scanner—potentially enabling on‑the‑spot surveillance of protesters and immigrants. Senators cite well‑documented racial bias and inaccuracy in face recognition (including a government study finding only two of five platforms equitable across demographics) and warn the technology chills First Amendment activity. Reported technical capabilities heighten those concerns: Mobile Fortify allegedly taps a catalog of more than 200 million images and can return names, birthdates, nationalities, past immigration encounters, and link individuals to vehicles, addresses, phone numbers, and firearm records. It reportedly can even extract fingerprints from photographs and query DHS and State Department databases. The senators demanded contract details, deployment scope, pre‑deployment accuracy testing, photo retention policies, and justification for continued use, with answers due by October 2. The episode underscores broader tensions in AI policy: powerful, opaque biometric tools are being fielded before bias, auditability, and oversight are resolved.