Apparently, FBI's 'Forensics Team' Creates Aged Photos Of Terrorists By Doing Random Google Image Searches

from the is-that-copyright-infringement? dept

Fri, Oct 14th 2011 12:12pm — Mike Masnick

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.

Llamazares is not happy about this -- especially since both of the people who his likeness was used to demonstrate have since been assassinated. He's now planning to sue the FBI. I am curious what charges he'll bring. I can't see anything really sticking, to be honest. There might be a copyright claim from whoever holds the copyright on the image -- and that would be pretty amusing, given the Justice Department's rather strong views on the absolute evils of copyright infringement. But really, the whole story seems pretty ridiculous.

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Filed Under: aging, fbi, forensics, gaspar llamazares, osama bin laden, photos

29 Comments

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Dark Helmet (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 12:14pm

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....
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- Ninja (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 12:31pm
  
  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!
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  - Anonymous Coward, 15 Oct 2011 @ 10:15am
    
    Re: Re: Hahaha
    I never thought posting your pics on Facebook could get you into terrorism plots lmao!
    
    Really?
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- Anonymous Coward, 14 Oct 2011 @ 12:55pm
  
  Re: Hahaha
  "my government is stupid some times...."
  
  They're smart sometimes too ... :)
  
  J/k.
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  - The Devil's Coachman (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 2:52pm
    
    Re: Re: Hahaha
    Yeah, like when did that happen? Citations, please!
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    - IPTroll, 14 Oct 2011 @ 2:59pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Hahaha
      http://www.fbi.gov/
      
      Go look, you'll find it.
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      - Anonymous Coward, 14 Oct 2011 @ 3:00pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Hahaha
        ROFLOL, I just noticed, on the FBI's Website, it's National Cyber Security Awareness month.
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- btr1701 (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 6:40pm
  
  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?
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Oct 2011 @ 12:24pm

What, no cries of "fair use" and "non-commercial use" and all that stuff?
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- Ninja (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 12:33pm
  
  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.
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Killer_Tofu (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 12:36pm

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)
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Ninja (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 12:36pm

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.
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- aguywhoneedstenbucks (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 1:09pm
  
  Re: Irony?
  Mine is FBI TORRENT TRACKER
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crade (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 12:44pm

isn't that george clooney?
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- :Lobo Santo (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 12:48pm
  
  Re:
  Couldn't be; George Clooney has perfect symmetry and a smaller nose.
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- Rikuo (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 12:52pm
  
  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.
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- Anonymous Coward, 14 Oct 2011 @ 4:10pm
  
  Re:
  That was my first thought. My next thought was the Coen Bros' film, Burn After Reading. At least we learned something today.
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gojomo (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 12:58pm

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).
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Oct 2011 @ 1:35pm

"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.
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- The Devil's Coachman (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 2:55pm
  
  Re:
  How about:
  
  Phyllis Diller + Joan Rivers = Lady Gaga (tomorrow morning, sans makeup)
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  - Anonymous Coward, 14 Oct 2011 @ 9:24pm
    
    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.
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anonymous, 14 Oct 2011 @ 1:44pm

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!'
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hothmonster, 14 Oct 2011 @ 2:10pm

We can't trust this "Llamazares," if that is his real name, he looks like a terrorist.
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Shane C (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 2:58pm

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)
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- nasch (profile), 17 Oct 2011 @ 7:52am
  
  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?
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Oct 2011 @ 3:25pm

"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.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Oct 2011 @ 3:40pm

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.
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- Atkray (profile), 14 Oct 2011 @ 5:08pm
  
  Re: OOTB
  Ahh,
  I wondered why he wasn't posting today.
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Oct 2011 @ 11:17am

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.
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