ICE and CBP’s Face-Recognition App Can’t Actually Verify Who People Are
A widely used government face-scanning app cannot actually verify identities, records show.
Deep Dive
A facial recognition app used by US immigration agents across the country is not designed to reliably identify people, according to internal records. Deployed hastily in 2025, the 'Mobile Fortify' app has been used over 100,000 times, scanning citizens and protesters without consent. Experts and records confirm the technology is prone to mistakes and is only suitable for generating leads, not for positive identification.
Why It Matters
This raises serious concerns about privacy, accuracy, and the expansion of surveillance in everyday law enforcement.