FBI Reportedly Harvesting Publicly Available "Weapon" Info

by
posted on February 18, 2024
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
1 AI Trend

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is initiating Project Tyr, an effort in its infancy to employ Amazon’s artificial intelligence-driven Rekognition cloud service to identify firearms—among other things—and the people associated with them. According to the bureau’s description (on the last page) the software “… offers pre trained and customizable computer vision (CV) capabilities to extract information and insights from lawfully acquired images and videos. Currently in initiation phase to customize to review and identify items containing nudity, weapons, explosives, and other identifying information.”

The news came as a shock to a digital community primarily concerned about privacy and inaccurate facial recognition. Amazon placed a moratorium on law enforcement’s use of Rekognition’s facial recognition software in June 2020, extended the moratorium in 2021 and released a statement explaining the latest FBI effort will only use the program’s other assets.

“Rekognition is an image and video analysis service that has many non-facial analysis and comparison features,” Amazon spokesperson Duncan Neasham explained to FedScoop, the outlet that broke the news on January 25. “Nothing in the Department of Justice’s disclosure indicates the FBI is violating the moratorium in any way.”

The initiative may be fueled, in part, by the number of convicted felons willing to post photos of themselves on social media while holding a gun and/or clearly stating ownership. That violation of the law has helped re-incarcerate criminals in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nebraska and dozens, if not hundreds, of others in the last year alone.

Identifying those instances falls well within the FBI’s website stated goal to, “… protect the American people and uphold the U.S. Constitution.” Today, its team of roughly 35,000 relies heavily on the latest forensic and investigative technology and routinely explores innovative new techniques, including this one. Precisely how it will harness Rekognition or the baseline used in the search for firearms—and whether that information is cataloged—has yet to be announced.

The Federal Government is not alone in its reliance on sometimes controversial software, however. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the New York City Police Department, for example, has been using facial recognition since 2011, can put 19 drones in the air, has video monitoring for loitering and more. For a look at systems employed by your city, county and state the organization has a free and easy-to-use Atlas of Surveillance online.

Latest

Gotw Bmr X Steel Web
Gotw Bmr X Steel Web

Gun Of The Week: Bergara BMR-X Steel

In this episode, the American Rifleman staff is on the range with a rimfire rifle that’s designed to excel in competition. This is the Bergara BMR-X Steel, a bolt-action that offers some match-grade features at a price that won’t break the bank.

Robert "Bob" Nosler Passes Away

Robert "Bob" Nosler, chairman of Nosler, Inc., passed away on Sept. 2, 2025, at the age of 79.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 5, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

MRDS: Zenith’s American-Made Roller-Delayed Rifle For The 21st Century

While the roller-delayed blowback mechanism has proven reliable in platforms like the Heckler & Koch G3, Zenith Firearms has taken this innovative operating system and paired it with a modern, AR-style feature set in its MRDS.

Remington Announces 4th Annual Shoot To Cure Fundraiser

Now in its fourth year, the Shoot to Cure fundraiser is scheduled to take place on September 19 at the historic Remington Gun Club in Lonoke, Ark.

Rifleman Review: Walther Arms PD380

For its latest compact carry pistol, the PD380, Walther Arms combined elements of its Performance Duty Pistol series with its legacy PK380 platform.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.