The program was under the
Homeland Security Advanced Research Agency and the
Science & Technology Human Factors Behavior Science Division of DHS. The DHS science spokesman John Verrico stated in September 2008 that preliminary testing had demonstrated 78% accuracy on mal-intent detection and 80% on deception. However, this was not a controlled, double-blind study, and researchers from Lawrence University and the
Federation of American Scientists have questioned its validity without further evidence. The system measures pulse rate, skin temperature, breathing, facial expression, body movement, pupil dilation, and other "psycho physiological/behavioral patterns" to stop "unknown terrorists". The technology would mostly be used at airports, borders, and special events.
Fox News reported that the mobile units transmit data to analysts, who use "a system to recognize, define and measure seven primary emotions and emotional cues that are reflected in contractions of facial muscles." The system is named
MALINTENT. Results are transmitted back to screeners. DHS produced a 'privacy impact assessment' in 2008. It described the system as comprising: • A remote cardiovascular and respiratory sensor to measure heart rate and respiration • A remote eye tracker • Thermal cameras that provide information on the temperature of the skin in the face • A high resolution video for looking at facial expressions and body movements • Audio system for analyzing changes in voice pitch • Possibly other sensors, perhaps pheromone detection • Anonymized aggregate results of the scanned information The DHS plan on using cameras and sensors to measure and track the changes in a person's body language, the tone of their voice and the rhythm of their speech. Civil Liberties Groups raised privacy concerns about the project but Burns from the DHS claims "the technology would erase data after each screening, and no personal information would be used to identify subjects, create files, or make lists". He reassured the public that regulations would be put in place to protect privacy if and when the technology is deployed. == Organizations involved ==