NSA Snatching Millions of Facial Images a Day For Its Facial Recognition Database: NSA Defends Face Program Which Means It's an Ongoing Operation

Illustration provided by Steve Jurvetson.

By Dana Ford
The National Security Agency is reportedly capturing millions of images per day to feed facial recognition programs.

Citing top-secret documents obtained by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the New York Times reported the agency 's reliance on such technology has grown in recent years.

New software allows the NSA to "exploit the flood of images included in emails, text messages, social media, videoconferences and other communications," the newspaper said.

"The agency intercepts 'millions of images per day' — including about 55,000 'facial recognition quality images' — which translate into 'tremendous untapped potential,'" the newspaper reported, citing documents from 2011.

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