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NJ Bans Smiling in Drivers' License Photos

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 08:24:47 PM EST
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What will they think of next? Via ABC News (no video)

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has cracked down on drivers smiling in their driver's license photos because their smiles could interfere with new facial recognition software.

Maybe next year they will come up with a tooth recognition system and made smiling mandatory.

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    NJ Bans Smiling in Drivers' License Photos | 26 comments (26 topical)

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    If the system is that faulty (5.00 / 4) (#1)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 08:42:20 PM EST
    What will they do about a lifestyle lift, or someone who has gained or lost weight, or a nose job?  How STUPID!!!!!

    Your comment (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by shoephone on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 08:43:05 PM EST
    just said it for me.

    Parent
    At a time like this (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by Peter G on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 08:43:47 PM EST
    only John Gorka can help.

    Ha! that was great! (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by ZtoA on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 10:29:37 PM EST


    Parent
    Have'ta show that ... (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by Yman on Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 08:16:25 AM EST
    ... to my wife, who's a native.

    Parent
    I was told smiling allowed (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by vml68 on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 08:43:56 PM EST
    but there should be no teeth showing. By the time I am done with the DMV in NJ, I don't feel like smiling anyway.

    Ya know, there are many different (5.00 / 5) (#6)
    by nycstray on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 08:47:58 PM EST
    faces you can make without your teeth showing :P

    Parent
    All this means, then (5.00 / 7) (#7)
    by Zorba on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 08:51:27 PM EST
    is that you should be widely smiling, teeth showing, any time you think you may be in danger of being photographed for the purposes of facial recognition.  Smile, people!  Big smiles!

    That Would be Funny... (none / 0) (#19)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 09:30:32 AM EST
    ...presumably the reason for the technology is finding bad guys.  Can you imagine all the bad guys walking around with huge smiles, thinking the bigger the smile, the less likely they will be recognized.

    Not that reverse psychology was at hand, but it sure could work out that way at least for the kind of people they are trying to track with it.

    Parent

    a friend of mine (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by CST on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 10:51:42 PM EST
    Recently got a passport photo.  They told her the same thing.

    My passport photo... (5.00 / 3) (#12)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 11:21:18 PM EST
    looks like I'm having a stroke.  They were more concerned about getting one with my eyes open than me smiling.

    Parent
    Does she have long hair? (none / 0) (#17)
    by vml68 on Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 07:59:38 AM EST
    If you have long hair, they ask you to tuck your hair behind your ears.

    Parent
    Not fair (5.00 / 2) (#22)
    by shoephone on Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 10:45:18 AM EST
    I have big ears...

    Parent
    For (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by lentinel on Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 05:47:26 AM EST
    years, you can't smile for a passport photo.

    So everybody looks grim and suspicious.

    Whew! And, I thought it was just me (none / 0) (#25)
    by NYShooter on Sat Sep 22, 2012 at 11:45:09 AM EST
    As soon as I looked at my new passport picture the first thing that hit me was, "Are you kidding me?? If you want the stereotype of every terrorist who ever  lived, that's me. I'll never get through security now."

    What is wrong with those cameras? lol


    Parent

    No big deal (5.00 / 3) (#21)
    by rdandrea on Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 10:43:31 AM EST
    Having grown up in Jersey, I can tell you with some assurance that nobody smiles anyway.

    I wonder whether (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by scribe on Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 06:55:58 PM EST
    this pose will pass.

    'course, in Noo Joysey, it's hard to go fast for all the traffic and unfixed potholes.

    I am reminded (none / 0) (#5)
    by MKS on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 08:46:28 PM EST
    of Tom Delay smiling for his mugshot when he was arrested.  It was a good photo--not one detractors could use.

    Tooth recognition would probably be more accurate (none / 0) (#8)
    by ruffian on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 09:16:03 PM EST
    Smile, you're on candid camera

    At my GOES interview yesterday, (none / 0) (#9)
    by oculus on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 10:17:50 PM EST
    I was photographed and fingerprinted.  Nothing sd. re smiling.  

    Fingerprints.... (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by lentinel on Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 05:48:22 AM EST
    Ick.

    Parent
    It doesn't matter... (none / 0) (#13)
    by unitron on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 11:55:36 PM EST
    ...no matter what you do, a driver's license photo is going to be a terrible picture anyway.

    And besides, in situations where you have to show it, you might not be smiling anyway and probably wouldn't want to be for fear of making them suspicious of what you might be up to or on.

    they don't want smiles? (none / 0) (#14)
    by NYShooter on Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 02:40:06 AM EST
    Simple, just make them look at a blown up picture of Chris Christie.....Link

    From the (1.00 / 1) (#20)
    by KeysDan on Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 10:09:06 AM EST
    Department of Redundancy Department:   "...a blown up picture of Chris Christie."

    Parent
    What They Want (none / 0) (#24)
    by john horse on Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 09:18:39 PM EST
    is to make it look like a mug shot.  Just part of our training.  Stand in line folks and wipe that smile off your face.  The software doesn't recognize any sign of humanity.  Its a brave new world where corporations are people and people are just a cog in the machine.  

    No eyeglasses or smiles (none / 0) (#26)
    by Banzel on Sat Sep 22, 2012 at 10:57:58 PM EST
    Iowa started that five years ago.  Even if you're required to have corrective lenses while driving.

    NJ Bans Smiling in Drivers' License Photos | 26 comments (26 topical)

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