Real-life "Minority Report" program gets a try-out

Updated 2:12 p.m. PT: An internal U.S. Department of Homeland Security document indicates that a controversial program designed to predict whether a person will commit a crime is already being tested on some members of the public voluntarily, CNET has learned.

If this sounds a bit like the Tom Cruise movie called "Minority Report," or the CBS drama "Person of Interest," it is. But where "Minority Report" author Philip K. Dick enlisted psychics to predict crimes, DHS is betting on algorithms: it's building a "prototype screening facility" that it hopes will use factors such as ethnicity, gender, breathing, and heart rate to "detect cues indicative of mal-intent."

The latest developments, which reveal efforts to "collect, process, or retain information on" members of "the public," came to light through an internal DHS document obtained under open-government laws by the Electronic Privacy Information Center. DHS calls its "pre-crime" system Future Attribute Screening Technology, or FAST.

"If it were deployed against the public, it would be very problematic," says Ginger McCall, open government counsel at EPIC, a nonprofit group in Washington, D.C.

It's unclear why the June 2010 DHS document (PDF) specified that information is currently collected or retained on members of "the public" as part of FAST, and a department representative declined to answer questions that CNET posed two days ago.

Elsewhere in the document, FAST program manager Robert Middleton Jr. refers to a "limited" initial trial using DHS employees as test subjects. Middleton says that FAST "sensors will non-intrusively collect video images, audio recordings, and psychophysiological measurements from the employees," with a subgroup of employees singled out, with their permission, for more rigorous evaluation.

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Peter Boogaard, the deputy press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, provided a statement to CNET that said:

The department's Science and Technology Directorate has conducted preliminary research in operational settings to determine the feasibility of using non-invasive physiological and behavioral sensor technology and observational techniques to detect signs of stress, which are often associated with intent to do harm. The FAST program is only in the preliminary stages of research and there are no plans for acquiring or deploying this type of technology at this time.

FAST is designed to track and monitor, among other inputs, body movements, voice pitch changes, prosody changes (alterations in the rhythm and intonation of speech), eye movements, body heat changes, and breathing patterns. Occupation and age are also considered. A government source told CNET that blink rate and pupil variation are measured too.

A field test of FAST has been conducted in at least one undisclosed location in the northeast. "It is not an airport, but it is a large venue that is a suitable substitute for an operational setting," DHS spokesman John Verrico told Nature.com in May.

Although DHS has publicly suggested that FAST could be used at airport checkpoints--the Transportation Security Administration is part of the department, after all--the government appears to have grander ambitions. One internal DHS document (PDF) also obtained by EPIC through the Freedom of Information Act says a mobile version of FAST "could be used at security checkpoints such as border crossings or at large public events such as sporting events or conventions."

Internal DHS document says FAST "will help protect the public while maintaining efficiency and security"

/ U.S. Department of Homeland Security

It also says that the next field trial of FAST will involve members of the public who "have food service experience" and are paid "to work at a one day VIP event." Most of the document is redacted, but each person is apparently told to act normally or to do something demonstrating "mal-intent," such as being told to smuggle a recording device into the VIP event. The trick, then, is to see if FAST can detect which is which.

It's not clear whether these people were informed that they're participating in a FAST study.

McCall, the EPIC attorney who has been pressing the department to obtain these internal documents, said it's time for the DHS Privacy Office to review the current state of the FAST project. What appears to be the most recent privacy analysis (PDF) was completed in December 2008 and contemplates using "volunteer participants" who have given their "informed consent."

"They should do a privacy impact assessment," McCall said.

DHS is being unusually secretive about FAST. A February 2010 contract (PDF) with Cambridge, Mass.-based Draper Laboratory to build elements of the "pre-crime" system has every dollar figure blacked out (a fleeting reference to an "infrared camera" remained).

Relying on ambiguous biological factors to predict mal-intent is worrisome, says McCall. "Especially if they're going to be rolling this out at the airport. I don't know about you, but going to an airport gives me a minor panic attack, wondering if I'm going to get groped by a TSA officer."

Update: A Homeland Security spokesman has just provided this additional statement to CNET: "The FAST program is entirely voluntary and does not store any personally-identifiable information (PII) from participants once the experiment is completed. The system is not designed to capture or store PII. Any information that is gathered is stored under an anonymous identifier and is only available to DHS as aggregated performance data. It is only used for laboratory protocol as we are doing research and development. It is gathered when people sign up as volunteers, not by the FAST system. If it were ever to be deployed, there would be no PII captured from people going through the system." (The DHS Privacy Office has said, however, that the system does contain personally-identifiable information and that FAST "is a privacy sensitive system." DHS defines a privacy sensitive system as "any system that collects, uses, disseminates, or maintains" personally-identifiable information.)

[gadfly65]

Another nightmarish scenario brought to life by the GOP-created Department of Homeland Security.

[microbeast29]

And Sir, do tell; which President just renewed all the nasty Bush era Legislation? I'll give you a hint, his name starts with an "O"

[Morrothmor]

Really, what are the odds of misuse and abuse. Can we use this against politicians when they violate there oath of office. Abusive police offices or is this going to be aimed at the little people.

[dre_cameron]

The DHS is LYING. THey are trying this out on non-consensual experimentees. I believe I have been unwittingly enrolled into this program. I believe the cover story for this pogrom is organized gang stalking. What's involved is 24/7, constant 'chatter' that is being transmitted via what most targets believe is either directed energy technology or covert ear implants. The chatter is of people we have been exposed to casually (in my case a former landlord/upstairs neighbor); the chatter is always denigrating and homes in on whatever fears,weaknesses the system has gathered from months and perhaps years of information culling--via sub-vocalized 'mind reading'--yes this technology exists although the govt wont tell you--but if they are letting info about this pogrom out--just IMAGINE they are keeping under wraps! Apparently, I came to someone's attention via a myspace public blog I wrote years ago while Dumbya was in office. I said some disparaging things and I'm assuming that's how I came to their attention. It appears this system uses pre-recorded computer generated looped messages that are constant and possibly meant to break a target's resolve. I'm assuming that the CIA, FBI, NSA are behind them b/c the chatter can be heard where ever you go, night and day. THis is also something they have a documented record of: see CIA's MK-ULTRA. This may sound like science fiction but it's REAL and it's here, hiding in plain sight. Again, if they are telling you this much then you can ONLY imagine what other much more sinister and criminally insane deeds they are concocting. But they are definitely LYING about using only volunteers--I NEVER volunteered for this and this has been going on for almost a year--non-stop. Don't believe it's possible? Research: organized gang stalking, directed energy weapons,nanoimplants,remote neural monitoring,'mind reading' technology, Dr. E. Donald Cameron & his CIA funding for Mk-ULTRA non-consensual mind control Experimentation in the 70's,read Author Gloria Naylor's account of her experience with what she believes was non-consensual govt experimentation in her novel 1996. Visit youtube and look up

[ludvig1-2009]

The cops in my Northern California community have their own method. If you ride a bicycle like I do to ward off diabetes, they consider you a SOB (Scum on bicyle) as reported by our local paper. I've had my picture taken twice and recently had them try to take my picture a third time. Retired Nuclear Engineer and 14 gallon blood donor.

[commenter777]

We would definitely all feel better about this country of ours if we prosecuted and sent the guilty ultra-rich corporate banking/rating executives to prison for the felonious mortgage fraud that they committed that cost us all so very, very much. A country that does not have a fair legal system that sends people to prison if they are poor, but does nothing if the people are rich is called a dictatorial regime if another country other than ours does it!!! Our country has more people in prison, percentagewise, than any developed country and in the US they are 99.999% poor. To quote many celebrated intellectuals, "If that is the law, then the law is an as". Let's prosecute the guilty that caused this and let's make dam sure they go to prison, regardless of how much money they have. I, for one, am very tired of all this BS!!! If the law means nothing for the ultra-rich in this country, why should it mean anything to anyone. Let's enforce and prosecute equally regardless of how much money they have.

[fwd23515]

Thank you, George W. Bush.

[WillowSunstar]

This is extremely worrisome. Institutionalized racism is not a good thing. This is highly unethical.

Prepare now while you are still free.

[Bojax39]

"If it were deployed against the public, it would be very problematic,"

Problematic? Try catastrophic. George Orwell move over, the Thought Police are here!

I say we put this technology to use on all political candidates as a prerequisite to running for office. That way we'll know who all the anti-American traitors and nut jobs are BEFORE we're stupid enough to vote them into power.... :-)

[Anotheryahoo]

Corporations who own the Republicans and Democrats hate the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Its in their way to creating a police state for the corporation. Just look at why we are policing the entire world. Its for corporation.....profits. Guilty before being proven innocent! vote Ron Paul if you want our Constitution and Bill of rights back.
Both parties will use security to remove our Liberty and Freedom.

[KnowerseekerReturns]

This is going to turn the U.S.A. into a police state....

[DRMANHATTAN1966]

I thought it already was...