In George Orwell's novel, 1984, the government attempts to control the speech and the thoughts of its citizens, cataloging incorrect thoughts as "thought crimes". While this story was first published in 1949 as fiction, now in 2008, in a world affected by terrorism, it may become prophetic. Predicting malicious intent from mere observations is becoming a government skill.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) already uses human agents and surveillance cameras to search airport passengers for their bodys' non-verbal clues to predict whether they intend harm to their fellow passengers. And the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is updating this skill using a mobile laboratory with its Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) program (formerly known as "Project Hostile Intent") to detect harmful intentions from its citizens.
The premise is to reconfigure large trailers to become mobile screening modules that can be set-up at major events, border crossings or even airports that consist of an array of sensors that can measure breathing patterns, pulse rates, facial expressions and skin temperatures as persons answer a series of controlled questions. These questions are akin to those asked by polygraph examiners, such as, "Are you attempting to detonate an explosive device in this airport today?"
The benefit of this approach is that unlike a polygraph examination there is no baseline questioning or wires connected to an individual, so it takes less time. It is being described by DHS and its technology partners as an, "X-ray for bad intentions". The system, known as "Malintent," uses multiple sensors - everything from cameras to infrared sensors to laser radars to collect and collate data to determine if people are displaying certain behavioral, biological or psychological markers that can be classified as malicious.
Recently, DHS tested its mobile screening truck on 144 unknowing volunteers. Twenty-three of these were accomplices who were told by DHS to be "disruptive" as they passed through an entrance way loaded with sensors that screened them - not for bad acts, but for bad intentions. When the sensors identified something as malicious, they transmitted warnings to analysts who then had to make a determination as to whether or not to flag these volunteers for additional questioning and screening for mood and intention.
DHS still has along way to go in regards to accuracy and privacy before you see these mobile screening modules at political conventions, schools, sporting events or even large shopping malls. For example, DHS will have to employ human analysts to assess the data collected and collated to determine if a secondary interview and screening is required. For now, DHS claims that any data collected is only to be used to determine bad intentions and if necessary apply more scrutiny to certain individuals. All data of such encounters is to be destroyed. Assuming this to be true, you cannot erase memories or even testimony of those involved.
The government sees this as a non-judgmental approach, by requiring technology and analysts to differentiate between bad and good intentions. This approach will be subjected to legal challenges. For example, these actions will invoke privacy implications as well as unwanted medical examinations. What about existing medical conditions (sleep deprivation) or reactions to legally prescribed medications (profuse sweating from certain antibiotics) or even illegal substances altering biological markers that are misread as maliciousness. What will a secondary and more probing interview reveal? More importantly how will this information be used against persons and in what context?
If a person is deemed full of bad intentions, is the government remedy to restrict them from otherwise permissible activities? In addition, once the privacy implications are addressed and perhaps somewhat resolved, look to see the addition of more sensors, such as biological and radiological, which if activated would require even more expanded and serious government action and the need for more record-keeping.
