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Dead Constitution See other Dead Constitution Articles Title: Homeland Security exploring mass-scanning system WASHINGTON - Can technology identify someone thinking about committing a terrorist attack? The Department of Homeland Security is exploring that possibility. Last month, it queried researchers about designing a system that would detect deceptive behavior by flagging physiological and behavioral cues such as heartbeat, respiration and facial expression, using thermal imaging, infrared cameras and audio and eye-tracking, among other techniques. A related program, Project Hostile Intent, is exploring the use of involuntary facial and speech signals captured on video to identify people "involved in possible malicious or deceitful acts" - before they ever commit the crime. Homeland Security officials said yesterday that research was preliminary and stressed that, if the results were ever applied in airports, ports or border crossings, they would be one of many tools used to flag someone for further questioning, rather than as a sole arbiter of criminal intent. "This is not envisioned as the Holy Grail," said one Homeland Security official who asked not to be named. "This is simply another tool to augment the decision-making of someone who's making these judgments. It doesn't replace that person's decision." While early results were "promising," he said, "there are plenty of research questions remaining." It has long been known that lying and other deception triggers changes in heartbeat, blood pressure and galvanic skin response - the basis for lie detectors. But those results are not admissible in a court of law because of questions about their accuracy. And civil libertarians say they're concerned about similar issues with mass monitoring in public places like airports and train stations. "It is certainly daunting ... that we are looking at machines that scan people's heart rates or perspiration as they walk by," said Michael German, policy counsel for the Washington legislative office of the American Civil Liberties Union. "By focusing on the population as a whole, you're just draining resources from real investigations." Rafi Ron, a former Israeli security official and president of New Age Aviation Security in McLean, Va., said he believes the applications of sensor technology in high-traffic settings are "science fiction at this point" - although he thinks it holds out future promise. "In America, we tend to go for the high-tech solutions even if they're not really mature," said Ron, who helped design a behavior detection program at Logan Airport in Boston. "At the same time, we almost completely ignore the fact that with better training and skill development, we can turn the people on the front lines into a much better solution to our problems." Nonetheless, he said he thought the technology could eventually be effective during one-on-one interviews, for instance, by immigration and border patrol agents. Homeland Security officials acknowledged many issues must still be resolved and stressed that privacy protection and simplifying, rather than complicating, screening were key goals. "It has to prove itself in the laboratory first, and then policymakers will look at legal and privacy issues and determine when and if and how it's tested operationally," said one official. Behavioral detection is already used by specially trained officers in the Transportation Security Administration - with 273 arrests made as a result since June 2004, said spokesman Christopher White. That detection is done by individuals trained to recognize subtle facial expressions. "We're very encouraged by the program and we plan to expand it," White said. Tools to fight terror? Federal Homeland Security officials are exploring how technology can help screeners identify people entering the U.S. with "hostile intent" through two different programs: FUTURE ATTRIBUTE SCREENING TECHNOLOGY (FAST) PROJECT SENSOR FUSION Seeking a system that could detect deceptive behavior through physiological and behavioral cues including heartbeat, respiration and facial expression. Technologies used could include thermal imaging, infrared cameras and audio and eye-tracking. PROJECT HOSTILE INTENT Monitoring facial expressions and other behavioral, speech and physiological cues through video monitors to identify people "involved in possible malicious or deceitful acts" before they commit a crime. Would work in real time and be "non-invasive," without disrupting the flow of passengers.
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