The Expanding Orbit of ICE’s Surveillance Machine
(Liberty Nation News, Feb 12, 2026)
A new DHS inspector general audit will examine how DHS components collect or obtain biometric identifiers and other personally identifiable information for immigration enforcement, and how that data is managed, shared, and secured—after senators raised concerns about tools like facial recognition and license-plate scanning being used around protests. The piece spotlights ICE’s reported use of biometric search capabilities (including Clearview AI and the Mobile Fortify face-matching app) alongside broader “digital identity” surveillance stacks, and argues that governance gaps and opaque watchlist-style practices heighten risks of misidentification and civil-liberties violations.
UK Police Facial-Recognition Use Needs Tighter Rules and Safeguards
(MLex, Feb 12, 2026)
Police use of facial recognition in the United Kingdom is facing renewed scrutiny, with calls for clearer statutory limits and stronger safeguards around how biometric data is collected, used, shared, and secured. The report highlights oversight concerns tied to law-enforcement facial recognition deployments and underscores the push for tighter governance and accountability frameworks for biometric identification tools.
You Will Now Have Your Face Scanned by Live Recognition Cameras at London Bridge Station
(Metro, Feb 12, 2026)
British Transport Police has started a six-month live facial recognition pilot at London Bridge and other London stations, using cameras that scan faces and compare them to a watchlist of people wanted for serious offences, with an officer reviewing any system alerts. Images of people who don’t match the watchlist are reported to be deleted immediately, while civil-liberties groups continue to raise concerns about transparency, consent, and potential bias in real-time biometric surveillance.
All the States and Countries That Have Age-Verification Laws (So Far)
(Mashable, Feb 12, 2026)
Age-verification laws are increasingly requiring “robust” proof of age that can involve biometrics—such as facial recognition scans—or identity documents to access age-restricted content online. The piece catalogs where these rules are already in force across U.S. states and multiple countries, and highlights ongoing concerns that biometric-based age checks can expand sensitive data collection without reliably achieving child-safety goals.
Is Tinder’s AI Photo Selector Feature Safe to Use?
(Mashable, Feb 12, 2026)
Tinder’s Photo Selector uses face detection/face matching from a selfie or existing photo to identify the user across their camera roll and recommend suitable profile images, with Tinder emphasizing that the tool runs on-device to reduce biometric privacy risk. Privacy advocates caution that “faceprints” are sensitive identifiers and users should be careful about how any facial data is stored, reused, or retained—even when companies say data handling is minimized.
