“A simple recognition system can use individual tattoos to identify specific suspects over time, supplementing fingerprints and simple facial photos. But more sophisticated systems will also be able to identify tattoo patterns that may suggest particular criminal affiliations. Law enforcement agencies already catalog specific tattoos associated with Russian mafia and white supremacist groups, and the FBI believes an automated system might help uncover previously unrecorded associations. ‘Tattoos provide valuable information on an individual’s affiliations or beliefs and can support identity verification of an individual,’ one researcher wrote in a NIST whitepaper.”
Source: The FBI is building a tattoo-reading system to chart criminal affiliations | The Verge
