Technological Advances in the Administration of Lineups

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems are used around the world as a tool for both crime prevention and investigation. Alongside being a deterrent for criminal activity, CCTV can be used to help identify perpetrators of a crime through the process of face matching, which involves verifying the identity of one individual through comparison, for example, by comparing two face images to assess whether they are a “match.” As an investigative tool, face matching can be used to identify individuals caught on CCTV to bring them in for further investigation. With a rise in technology and its role within the criminal justice system, this chapter aims to present an overview of face matching processes in a forensic context. More specifically, we discuss the differences between face matching in humans and machines, and the challenges and implications involved with using each process.