U.S. military left behind facial recognition software – Taliban say thanks

U.S. military left behind facial recognition software – Taliban say thanks

Washington, 8/23/2021

The Taliban reportedly seized facial recognition and biometric devices and databases from the U.S. military during their march on Kabul. These devices could be used to identify Afghans who have aided coalition forces.
Background: the biometrics kit was left behind by U.S. forces during their rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan. Known as Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment (HIIDE), the devices helped the military capture facial and iris scans, fingerprints and biographical data that is stored in a database.
A former Army Special Operations official told The Intercept that the Taliban does not have the equipment to actually use the data collected with the devices.