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Welcome to the Nanny State, where Big Brother is watching you, pleasure is punishable by death, laughter merits a jail sentence, and the DMV doesn’t allow you to smile on your license photo.
One of these kids is doin\' his own thing, now it\'s time to play our game... Image: freeparking/Flickr.
Flippancy aside, DMV offices in the states of Arkansas, Indiana, Nevada and Virginia are enforcing a ‘no smiles’ policy on driver portraits because apparently it will help reduce the approval of fake and fraudulent licenses.
DMVs in the four states carrying the policy are equipped with special photo recognition software that works to prevent identity theft by comparing the faces in newly taken license photos against existing imagery of the individual.
And, in order for the software to function efficiently, prospective license holders standing before the camera should be displaying a “neutral expression” as opposed to a wide, toothy grin, according to a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, which has the ban in place in 74 offices across the state.
“The technology works best when the images are similar,” outlined DMV spokeswoman Pam Goheen. “To prepare for the possibility of future security enhancements, we’re asking customers to maintain a neutral expression.”
However, while some tech experts support the notion that facial recognition software can potentially flounder when trying to match pictures of the same person sporting wildly different expressions, not all DMV divisions see the need for dour-faced license holders.
USA Today reports that some 31 of the 50 states now utilise the advantages of automated photo matching during the licensing process, and most enjoy reliable results without having to restrict individual expressions.
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