Realigning Mobile Phone Biometrics for American Privacy Protection Act
- Sponsor
- Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]
- Committees
- Homeland Security Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Jan 16, 2026
Bottom line
This bill aims to significantly restrict the Department of Homeland Security's use of facial recognition technology and the retention of biometric data for US citizens, enhancing privacy protections by limiting its deployment to border identification and mandating data destruction.
What it actually does
This bill prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its components from using specific facial recognition mobile phone applications, 'Mobile Fortify Mobile Application' and 'Mobile Identify Mobile Application,' or any successors, outside of official ports of entry. It also forbids DHS from sharing these applications with other federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial agencies. Furthermore, the bill mandates the removal of these applications from most DHS information technology, requires DHS to remotely disable them on non-DHS technology, and orders the destruction of biometric data (images, photographs, fingerprints) of United States citizens collected both historically and at ports of entry within strict timeframes.
Proponents argue
Proponents argue that this bill is a critical step towards safeguarding the privacy and civil liberties of American citizens by preventing the pervasive expansion of government facial recognition surveillance into domestic life. They contend it addresses legitimate concerns about potential misuse of biometric data, mission creep by federal agencies, and the need for clear boundaries on government technological capabilities to protect individual rights.
Opponents contend
Opponents might argue that these restrictions could unduly hinder law enforcement and national security efforts, making it more challenging for DHS and cooperating agencies to identify and track individuals involved in illicit activities or threats outside of designated ports of entry. They may also raise concerns about the operational burden and potential technical difficulties associated with the mandated removal, remote disabling, and comprehensive destruction of existing biometric data.
The bill is very short and straightforward, making it highly accessible for any reader to understand its core provisions and implications within a few minutes.
Section 2(1), 2(2)
Restricting Facial Recognition App Use and Sharing
This provision mandates that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its components are prohibited from using the Mobile Fortify and Mobile Identify applications, or any successor facial recognition apps, except specifically for identification purposes at official ports of entry. Furthermore, DHS is forbidden from sharing these applications with any other federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial agency, effectively limiting their operational reach and preventing wider adoption.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue this provision is essential to prevent the expansion of facial recognition surveillance into domestic spaces, safeguarding the privacy rights of American citizens from pervasive government tracking and ensuring that such powerful tools are confined to specific, limited contexts.
Critics contend
Critics might contend that this restriction limits the ability of law enforcement and security agencies to leverage advanced technology for public safety and national security investigations outside of border areas, potentially hindering efforts to combat crime or terrorism.
Tradeoffs
This provision directly balances national security and law enforcement capabilities with individual privacy and civil liberties concerns, aiming to prevent mission creep of surveillance technologies.
Section 2(3)
Mandated Removal and Remote Disabling of Applications
This section requires DHS to remove the specified facial recognition applications from all Department and component information technology systems, with the sole exception being their necessary use at ports of entry. Additionally, DHS is mandated to remotely render inoperable any such applications that have been downloaded onto non-Department information technology devices, ensuring the technology is deactivated wherever it may exist outside authorized use.
Section 2(4), 2(5)
Data Destruction Requirements for US Citizens' Biometrics
The bill mandates the immediate destruction of any image, photograph, or fingerprint of any United States citizen captured using the specified facial recognition applications *before* the new standards are implemented, regardless of where the data is stored. For data captured at ports of entry *after* implementation, the bill requires its destruction within 12 hours of capture, establishing strict limits on data retention.