Albuquerque police using facial recognition technology

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The state of New Mexico allows the FBI to scan its database of driver license photos to see if the pictures match a wanted suspect, one of just 16 states that open their photo vaults to the agency. The state agency overseeing the license database says the federal law enforcement agency tapped into it 240 times in 2016. A recent report from the Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy and Technology raised alarm about the practice nationwide. But it had high praise for how the Albuquerque Police Department uses its facial recognition technology. The Albuquerque Journal says (http://bit.ly/2hX0wfX) Georgetown noted Albuquerque policies restricting searches and meaningful privacy protections. The technology allows investigators to match photo or a surveillance video to databases of mug shots and driver's licenses with accompanying identifying information.