Using speaker ID to combat crime

Interpol is looking to voice biometrics to help combat transnational crime.

It believes the EU-funded Speaker Identification Integrated Project (SIIP) could play a crucial role in identifying criminals and terrorists using telecommunications and internet-based applications, as well as in collecting judicially admissible evidence.

SIIP is a large-scale multi-disciplinary research project coordinated by Verint Systems. Seventeen partners from law enforcement, academia and industry are collaborating on the project.

Project coordinator Gideon Hazzani, director of new business technologies for Verint Systems, said SIIP could enable police to overcome two main challenges they face today.

“It could be useful in cases where criminals create fake identities when they use telecommunication and internet devices to prevent the lawful interception and tracking of their criminal activities by police services,” he said. “SIIP could also assist in identifying unknown participants in a lawfully intercepted call of a known suspect.”

‘Developing a Privacy by Design’ solution in voice biometrics was the focus of the first SIIP meeting recently hosted by Interpol.