Crucial Minutiae

A few months ago, I wrote about how the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles had, without getting the joke, issued license plates with numbers beginning in “WTF.” But the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (and, um, who ever heard of a BMV?) is not to be outdone. Last month, they announced new rules for anyone snapping a drivers license photo—no hats, scarves, glasses, hair in the face, or smiling. Why? Because the state’s facial recognition software, which scans past and present photos in an attempt to cut down on license fraud, works best with a straight face. Indiana is one of 20 states using this software.

When I read this story, my first thought was, “Smile? Who has ever smiled at the DMV?” But then something else hit me. Facial recognition software? In 20 states? For everyone who gets a drivers license? Am I wrong, or does that feel a touch big brothery?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 9th, 2008 at 6:09 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.