Apparently, FBI's 'Forensics Team' Creates Aged Photos Of Terrorists By Doing Random Google Image Searches
from the is-that-copyright-infringement? dept
We’ve all seen those forensic “aging” pictures that are often used to try to show what a fugitive might look like now, when law enforcement doesn’t have a recent photo available. I always assumed that there was some sort of science behind doing that. However, it appears that when it comes to the FBI, the way it’s done is to do a Google Image search, find an image the FBI likes and then do a simple photo merge with the person they’re trying to “age.” Of course, that became a bit of a problem recently, when it came out that the photo the FBI used to age both Osama bin Laden and another senior al-Qaida leader, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, happened to be a Spanish member of parliament named Gaspar Llamazares.
Filed Under: aging, fbi, forensics, gaspar llamazares, osama bin laden, photos
Comments on “Apparently, FBI's 'Forensics Team' Creates Aged Photos Of Terrorists By Doing Random Google Image Searches”
Hahaha
“Llamazares is not happy about this — especially since both of the people who his likeness was used to demonstrate have since been assassinated.”
I honestly just can’t stop laughing at this sentence. God my government is stupid some times….
Re: Hahaha
It’s even funnier if you think that FBI often make up its own terrorist plots and solves them. I”d be vewy vewy afraid if I were Llamazares. Since I’m not I’ll just laugh hysterically and wish him good luck.
I never thought posting your pics on Facebook could get you into terrorism plots lmao!
Re: Re: Hahaha
I never thought posting your pics on Facebook could get you into terrorism plots lmao!
Really?
Re: Hahaha
“my government is stupid some times….”
They’re smart sometimes too … 🙂
J/k.
Re: Re: Hahaha
Yeah, like when did that happen? Citations, please!
Re: Re: Re: Hahaha
http://www.fbi.gov/
Go look, you’ll find it.
Re: Re: Re:2 Hahaha
ROFLOL, I just noticed, on the FBI’s Website, it’s National Cyber Security Awareness month.
Re: Hahaha
> God my government is stupid some times…
Perhaps, but as Mike pointed out, there doesn’t seem to be anything legally actionable here.
I’m sure the plaintiff will try some silly stretch of some other cause of action to cover it, but that’s no different than the government using ‘computer hacking’ to go after Lori Drew, which we’re all pretty much against around here, right?
What, no cries of “fair use” and “non-commercial use” and all that stuff?
Re: Re:
Fair use? Yeah, for sure but when it might put his life in danger if not mistakenly connect him to terrorists and give him all sorts of headaches in airports?? PRovide your picture for experimenting, please.
Surprised they don't regularly
At the rate the US government seems to want to use my taxpayer money to fund the IP cartel, and to pass incredibly stupid laws to help fund them, I am not surprised they don’t commit copyright infringement more often. That way they can just say “whoops” and directly hand over 150K per instance of infringement to those holding the copyright.
At least using that method to siphon government funds for the copyright nutjobs wouldn’t get ridiculous laws passed that harm all of humanity.
(Might be exaggerating but not by much as the laws always harm the entire US citizenry at a minimum)
Irony?
On the “If you liked this post, you may also be interested in…”
FBI Successful In Breaking Up Yet Another Of Its Own Plots To Bomb The US
Does The FBI Really Use Surveillance Vans With WiFi SSIDs Saying ‘FBI_SURVEILLANCE_VAN’?
And I rofl’d.
Re: Irony?
Mine is FBI TORRENT TRACKER
isn’t that george clooney?
Re: Re:
Couldn’t be; George Clooney has perfect symmetry and a smaller nose.
Re: Re:
Can’t be George Clooney – a woman in her 40-50’s just walked by my screen when I had that picture up and she didn’t swoon.
Re: Re:
That was my first thought. My next thought was the Coen Bros’ film, Burn After Reading. At least we learned something today.
Attack of the Drones
When the assassination drones home onto their targets by facial recognition, then he’ll have a good case. Of course, then it may be too late (for him).
“I always assumed that there was some sort of science behind doing that. However, it appears that when it comes to the FBI, the way it’s done is to do a Google Image search, find an image the FBI likes and then do a simple photo merge with the person they’re trying to “age.””
Oh, so that’s how face aging works. I was always wondering about that. Let me see here.
Michael Jackson + John McCain = George Bush (in ten years)
Elvis Presley + George Washington = Arnold Schwarzenegger (in 20 years).
Dick Cheney + Britney Spears = Donald Trump (in 15 years or so).
I think I’m starting to get the hang of this.
Re: Re:
How about:
Phyllis Diller + Joan Rivers = Lady Gaga (tomorrow morning, sans makeup)
Re: Re: Re:
Or, in this case, it’s more like Paris Hilton + Hillary Clinton = Paris Hilton in 5 years. I think that’s more analogous to what the FBI did.
a case of ‘mistaken identity’ could drop him right in the crap! if an FBI agent doesn’t know a person is already dead, he could be killed all over again. that would prove interesting! think of the publicity it could bring until it was revealed ‘oops! we goofed again!’
We can’t trust this “Llamazares,” if that is his real name, he looks like a terrorist.
Photographers viewpoint
From the viewpoint of a photographer, I’d think he’d pursue defamation of character, libel, and probably a few other civil items. The FBI certainly knew (or should have known) who is was, and although he could be considered a celebrity, they definitely knew the situation was false.
This is no different than the National Inquirer publishing a false story. The only way they get away with it on a regular basis, is they buy the stories from people that tell them it’s true. Once they know it’s false, publishing it would be negligence under the Sullivan rule. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Times_Co._v._Sullivan)
Re: Photographers viewpoint
From the viewpoint of a photographer, I’d think he’d pursue defamation of character, libel, and probably a few other civil items.
What exactly did the FBI say that’s false and defamatory?
“I am curious what charges he’ll bring. I can’t see anything really sticking”
let me help your ideas.
think about your mothers photo at a Poster of the National Whores Association.
Distraction
I’m much more concerned about how US intelligence uses social networking any any other data it can gather to build profiles of people who they fell is someone who might commit a crime, then entrap the person by contact out of the blue with a total setup by the FBI, or simply take him out with a drone.
Re: OOTB
Ahh,
I wondered why he wasn’t posting today.
Hi Mike, this is a year or two old. A quick google search turned up this HuffPo article from Jan 2010. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/16/gaspar-llamazares-bin-lad_n_425989.html
I think the update might be that he is now planning on suing the FBI, but I haven’t really looked that closely.