FBI Develops Tattoo Tracking Technology Via Establishing 15K Tattoo Designs

FBI tattoo tracking may soon have some changes as the agency plans to build new database that will be filled with tattoo designs. However, if the project pushes through, some critics believe that privacy may be at risk too.

The FBI tattoo tracking, otherwise known as the Tattoo Recognition Technology, will include cataloguing of about 15,000 tattoo designs as part of the agency's plan to recognize different patterns that move forward. Incidentally, this is not the first time that the issue about tattoos has been considered by the agency. In 2014, it was reported to have formed a partnership with NIST to begin the development of the tattoo database.

With tattoos becoming more popular than ever before, people had found such as a form of self-expression in a creative way. On the other hand, some people believe that getting a tattoo means dealing with a bad reputation related to illegal activities.

Nonetheless, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has announced much concern regarding this new initiative, particularly when it  comes to the fact that one of five adult Americans has a tattoo. With every inked masterpiece, a story is being told, dealing from belief to gang affiliation to religion. At the same time, the FBI thinks that behind those tattoos lie meaning and intelligence that could help them in creating future pattern recognition, Tucson News Now reported.

In terms of the privacy in each story being put at risk by the agency, one question that arises is how the information in the database will be obtained. It is certain that unreliable informants and biased sources will not be considered to give the accurate results, which may lead to the wrongful arrest of individuals based on their tattoos. As explained by experts in this field, the technology has no means to resolve half-assessed information, KMOV reported.  

FBI tattoo tracking technology's majority of gathered images are likely from prisoners, according to the EFF.  However, not all of these image tattoos are gang related or even mean anything illegal. Being said that, wrong interpretation of the database may result in a number of problems for the FBI, and the agency will have to act carefully.