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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The Capability, 2017

by Anna Sinclair

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2018 Finalist

In October 2017, the Council of Australian Governments established ‘The Capability’, a system allowing law enforcement agencies to identify a person in real-time by searching passport and driver’s licence photos.  It uses facial recognition technology to create a 'face print’, then matches it with photos accessible through the system. 

Use of The Capability is currently limited to identifying people who are suspects/victims of terrorism or serious criminal activity. However, the creation of a national system of images, with powerful search algorithms – and the potential deployment of these technologies in public spaces – transforms the conception and application of digital portraiture, and raises concerns about how this technology may be used in the future.

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2018

Other NPPP photos from Anna Sinclair

My room, 2015 by Anna Sinclair
2016 Finalist
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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