November 1, 2025
Smile for Big Brother?
You Can't Refuse to Be Scanned by ICE's Facial Recognition App, DHS Document Say
No opt-out, 15-year selfie stash, and 'computer says no' vibes
TLDR: ICE’s face-scanning app is mandatory and stores photos for 15 years, including U.S. citizens. Commenters slammed the move as error-prone and overreaching, with “computer says no” fears of wrongful IDs and Big Brother vibes affecting immigrants and citizens alike.
Internet comments exploded after 404 Media revealed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uses a facial recognition app, Mobile Fortify, that you can’t refuse—and it saves your face for 15 years, even if you’re a U.S. citizen. DHS (Homeland Security) docs say ICE and CBP (Border Protection) are even scanning faces in the street to verify status, and readers dubbed it a “Big Brother selfie machine.”
The loudest takes: baubino says the real goal is a giant biometric dataset “used however the government wishes.” ktallett blasts “limitless power,” arguing face recognition is often wrong—so why build a database of mistakes? hexbin010 drops the meme of the day: “computer says no (not a citizen)”, pointing out ICE may treat an app match as “definitive” and ignore documents like a birth certificate. noodlesUK warns the U.S.’s messy ID system plus “move fast and break things” will cause chaos, especially for people who changed status (like former green card holders). elif imagines 3D‑printed mask spoofs and fears contractors, cops, or hackers could get your face.
Drama: wall-to-wall skepticism. Few defenders. Jokes flew: “bring your birth certificate, but the app swipes left,” “Face ID meets DMV,” and “smile for surveillance.”
Key Points
- •An internal DHS document says ICE’s Mobile Fortify facial recognition app does not allow individuals to refuse a scan.
- •Photos captured by Mobile Fortify are stored for 15 years, including those of U.S. citizens.
- •The document outlines the technology behind Mobile Fortify and how collected data are processed and stored.
- •DHS provides its rationale for deploying Mobile Fortify for identity and immigration status verification.
- •404 Media previously reported ICE and CBP conducting facial scans in public to verify citizenship.