The New, Real "Minority Report": How the U.S. Gov't Aims to Catch Criminals That Haven’t Yet Committed a Crime

The Department of Homeland Security has announced the development of futuristic sounding technology with a bizarre “Minority Report” twist. The criminals they’re looking for haven’t committed a crime yet.

The program called Project Hostile Intent is part of the Human Factors Division of the DHS. DHS says that they need a way to detect possible “future” terrorists without a criminal past and with no known ties to terrorist organizations and therefore do not appear in any government databases. The technology will use advanced biometric technology in an attempt to “read minds” of people in public places, like airports.

If a computer determines that you are thinking about committing a terrorist act, either imminently, or at some point during your stay in the US, then you will be picked up by security officers for an interview. What is especially creepy about this upcoming program is that since it is specifically targeting people with no known terrorists ties—the only evidence is the “opinion” of a invariably flawed computer program.

The potential for abuse is staggering. Imagine that you get tagged by the computer, and the next thing you know you’re dragged off and treated like you were about to blow up an airplane. The only evidence against you would be that a computer deemed that you had some sort of undefined “hostile intent”. The fact that you did nothing wrong wouldn’t stop you from being detained, interrogated, and harassed. Missing your flight home will be the least of your worries! Some people are becoming more frightened by the governments secretive and vague “war on terror” than they are of terrorist attacks.

The DHS says that with 400 million people entering the country every year, they have to be vigilant in finding individuals who may harbor hostile intent toward the United States. Their ultimate goal is to implement technology that can exceed the abilities of any of today’s screening methods—without anyone ever knowing that they’re being screened. The project aims to start testing the technology at airports, borders and ports as soon as 2010 and to deploy the system at all points of entry to the US by 2012.

The program manager for Project Hostile Intent, Larry Willis, says that everything is coming along smoothly and soon things are going to change. “The early test results have us cautiously optimistic. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the screening and interviewing process supporting access control for borders and critical infrastructure.”

But however successful the program might be at identifying future terrorists, there is something very wrong with preemptively retaining individuals for having a supposed “intent”. Is this kind of “pre-emptive” technology seeding a Minority Report future, where harming the innocent is justified as being for the “greater good”? Unless, of course, it could premepted a Cheney & Bush from invading Iraq.

Posted by Rebecca Sato

Related Galaxy posts:

The Manchurian Bot

Motion Tracking - Sci-Fi Meets Real World Technology

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Comments

[Ben]

Thoughtcrime?

[Colin James Watling]

God-it just shows how bad things are getting out there in the U.S when all they can do to find the terrorists is put their faith in a computer and programme and end up arresting some poor old grey haired and frail hunchback lady with a crucifix around her neck and pull her in for 10 counts of terrorism-as for the elite terrorists there all running around inside the country laughing-but what do you expect from them when you see what mess their government have made of Iraq and how bad and worse the dust is all becoming.....

[Kane]

“war on terror”, Everytime i see that i larf! the only terror in this world at the momnet in perptrated by the US govenment!.

War on Terror all the troops in iraq and afganstan should be sent to washington and start fighing the real terrorist that a making billions of dollars opressing thier own nation and that of others. Look at all the politins ties to contractors or the army! They sign a paper ordering troops to iraq??? NO they sign themselfs a FAT PAYCHECK!!!! Think people!

I am not even a american but the second amendment was writen for a reason! the American people have the right to bear arms for a reason!

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants"

"That the people have a right to keep and bear arms; that a well-regulated militia, including the body of the people capable of bearing arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defence of a free state."

See the words free state. The US is no longer a free state and i challange anyone saying otherwise!

In essence what i am saying is the american people have been given the power (no the duty!) in thier constitution to rise up agaist the govenment if they see it is beening run by money grubing "Tyrants"! So to the american people you are no longer a free state! maybe a semi free state if you have permission to be semi-free! Get it???

[d'oh]

D'oh! Just reading this probably triggers the system!

[d'oh]

D'oh! Just reading this probably triggers the system!

[Marie]

So, if someone is on the way home, and thinking of their Significant Other who they just found out through a mutual friend is most likely having an affair while they are off on business trips, they'd best be thinking of flowery fields and cute bunnies, or else the betrayal and hateful feelings they have toward the situation may register as "hostile intent" in their facial features/stance/whatever it is these computers are supposed to read?

And really, now that this is out in the open, what 'decent' terrorist wouldn't be schooling their features and so forth into something pleasant/non-aggressive/non-hostile?

[kay]

OMG... As soon as I finished reading the last sentance in this article, a HUGE mosquito landed right on the screen on the words "bad guys"... then it started buzzing extremely LOUD and looking right up at me as it rotated it's wings like antennae! I instantly thought ALERT.... this BUG has HOSTILE INTENT... I can hear it and it's definitely HOSTILE INTENT!!! OMG... now I have hostile intent... look my body is already in Fight or Flight and my brain is on automatic Red Flag Status! Strangely, latley I have been making many calls to the Middle East to check on a sick friend there too... Do you think the "bad guys" on our side are listening and now watching me vis this BUG BOT? If so, here's a BIG BOOB "flash" for you bored lonley buggers/soldiers/spys/geeks/nerds out there who are serving and protecting us... And please don't shoot.. I promise not to go into your territory, and I wish you'd stay the hell out of mine!!!

[Brandy]

This kind of thing will keep happening for as long as people rely on the false promises of safety provided to them by governments. The truth is that no government, no matter how lofty their ambitions or advanced in technology they might be, can keep you safe from harm. Convincing you that the only way to keep you safe is to give up your personal freedoms and rights is nothing more than a poorly disguised attempt to convince you to sell yourself into slavery!

[Sarah]

The answer - stop going to the USA! This is all about power & control. I don't understand why American citizens are willingly giving away their rights and their self-determination to a government that's been involved in more illegal wars (courtesy the Bush - both presidents - profiteers) than anyone else! Isn't fear a wonderful tool of oppression!!