The US government's use of facial recognition technology to identify immigrants and citizens alike has been shrouded in controversy, with a recent investigation revealing that the app, called Mobile Fortify, is not designed to reliably verify identities. The app was approved by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without proper scrutiny, and its deployment has been criticized for undermining civil liberties and privacy.
According to records reviewed by Wired, Mobile Fortify has been used over 100,000 times since its launch in May 2025, but it is not capable of providing a positive identification of individuals. The technology relies on matching algorithms developed by the NEC Corporation of America, which has been shown to be inaccurate when images are taken outside controlled settings.
The app's design prioritizes speed and scale over accuracy, with a threshold that can be adjusted dynamically based on operational factors such as system load or performance speed. This means that even if the technology is not confident in a match, it may still surface a candidate pair for human review.
DHS has used Mobile Fortify to scan the faces of targeted individuals, as well as people later confirmed to be US citizens and others who were observing or protesting enforcement activity. The data collected through Fortify is stored in databases linked by a centralized platform called the Automated Targeting System (ATS), which can be accessed by other agencies beyond CBP's control.
The use of facial recognition technology has been criticized for its invasive nature, with experts arguing that it gives a veneer of certainty when there isn't one. Senator Ed Markey has warned that DHS officials have suggested building a database to catalog people who protest or observe immigration enforcement, citing public statements and internal directives.
The investigation also found that CBP has assumed responsibility for reviewing and adjudicating privacy reviews on the use of facial recognition technology, despite federal guidelines requiring a privacy assessment when an agency deploys new technology. The director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center's surveillance oversight program has described this approach as "cavalier" and warned that it undermines what little oversight is in place.
In response to these concerns, Senator Markey and colleagues have introduced legislation aimed at prohibiting ICE and CBP from using certain facial-recognition and biometric surveillance tools. The bill, short-titled the ICE Out of Our Faces Act, aims to prohibit the use of facial recognition technology for law or civil enforcement actions and require that US citizens be given the right to opt out when collection is not for a law enforcement purpose.
Overall, the investigation highlights the need for greater transparency and oversight in the use of facial recognition technology by government agencies, particularly those responsible for immigration enforcement. It also underscores the importance of protecting civil liberties and privacy in the face of rapidly advancing technologies that can be used to surveil and identify individuals without consent.
According to records reviewed by Wired, Mobile Fortify has been used over 100,000 times since its launch in May 2025, but it is not capable of providing a positive identification of individuals. The technology relies on matching algorithms developed by the NEC Corporation of America, which has been shown to be inaccurate when images are taken outside controlled settings.
The app's design prioritizes speed and scale over accuracy, with a threshold that can be adjusted dynamically based on operational factors such as system load or performance speed. This means that even if the technology is not confident in a match, it may still surface a candidate pair for human review.
DHS has used Mobile Fortify to scan the faces of targeted individuals, as well as people later confirmed to be US citizens and others who were observing or protesting enforcement activity. The data collected through Fortify is stored in databases linked by a centralized platform called the Automated Targeting System (ATS), which can be accessed by other agencies beyond CBP's control.
The use of facial recognition technology has been criticized for its invasive nature, with experts arguing that it gives a veneer of certainty when there isn't one. Senator Ed Markey has warned that DHS officials have suggested building a database to catalog people who protest or observe immigration enforcement, citing public statements and internal directives.
The investigation also found that CBP has assumed responsibility for reviewing and adjudicating privacy reviews on the use of facial recognition technology, despite federal guidelines requiring a privacy assessment when an agency deploys new technology. The director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center's surveillance oversight program has described this approach as "cavalier" and warned that it undermines what little oversight is in place.
In response to these concerns, Senator Markey and colleagues have introduced legislation aimed at prohibiting ICE and CBP from using certain facial-recognition and biometric surveillance tools. The bill, short-titled the ICE Out of Our Faces Act, aims to prohibit the use of facial recognition technology for law or civil enforcement actions and require that US citizens be given the right to opt out when collection is not for a law enforcement purpose.
Overall, the investigation highlights the need for greater transparency and oversight in the use of facial recognition technology by government agencies, particularly those responsible for immigration enforcement. It also underscores the importance of protecting civil liberties and privacy in the face of rapidly advancing technologies that can be used to surveil and identify individuals without consent.
the whole thing just feels like a huge mess, you know? I mean, who gave this tech the thumbs up without really thinking it through? 
it's all about speed and scale over accuracy, which is not exactly what we want from our government - we want to make sure our rights are protected, not just speed up the process of deporting people. 
and have you seen how they're storing all this data in these databases? 
it's like, hello, consent is key! shouldn't we at least be given a say in whether or not our faces are being scanned? 
anyway, I guess this just goes to show that when we're dealing with new tech and new powers, we need to make sure we've got the right safeguards in place - or else we might end up losing ourselves in the process. 
. I'd love to see more concrete measures put in place to ensure accountability and oversight. It's also important to address the potential for misused data, as we've seen with ATS 
.
. I mean, it's one thing to have some security concerns, but not being able to verify identities properly is a big no-no. And now we're talking about using this app to scan people who protest or observe immigration enforcement? that's just wrong 
.
. And what's with the lack of oversight? I mean, DHS is using this app without proper scrutiny and then just assumes responsibility for reviewing its own privacy reviews? come on 
.
. We need to have more conversations like this and make sure we're not sacrificing our civil liberties for the sake of security 
.
, now we're talking about a system that's basically designed to prioritize speed over accuracy 
️. I mean, 100k+ uses since May and it can't even reliably verify identities? What's next? 
. And the fact that it's not even reliable for verifying identities is wild 
. I don't know what's more concerning, the lack of oversight or the potential for mass surveillance 
. We need to hold our government accountable for how they use technology and ensure that it's not being misused 
. This investigation is a wake-up call and I hope something changes ASAP 
this is just wild how they approved Mobile Fortify without even looking at its accuracy, it's like they're trying to roll out some kinda surveillance state without anyone noticing 
this whole thing is just a total recipe for disaster...
we need more scrutiny on these techs before they get rolled out to the public.
We gotta have more transparency and oversight in these agencies or they're gonna keep pushing boundaries that are just too far. And can we talk about how this technology is being used against US citizens who are just trying to exercise their rights? 
.
.
.
. Has anyone else had enough of the government using facial recognition tech without our consent? We can't let them get away with this! 
. And what really gets me is the lack of transparency and oversight - it's like DHS is just winging it and hoping no one notices 
. Like, how can we trust a system that's not even designed to accurately verify identities? And now I'm reading that it's been used over 100k times already...that's like, a lot of people getting their faces scanned without consent 
. We need to make sure we're prioritizing our civil liberties and privacy, not just letting the gov rush into tech advancements without thinking it through