Re: Fingerprinting annoyance

["Mark O. Aldrich" <maldrich@grci.com>]

On Mon, 13 May 1996, Senator Exon wrote:

<snip>
> i can fill out and manipulate the card myself i just need a
> working method.
> is there no privacy advocate who can help me?
> 

I think most privacy advocates would advise, "Refuse to submit."  It 
sounds like you're looking for more of a hack on the fingerprinting process.

Normally, you're not going to be allowed to manipulate the card yourself. 
You're going to have to be printed by a "tech" (read: trusted by big
brother) who's going to ensure that those prints are really yours.  Sort
of like a key certificate.  If you really can dork the card, have ten
different people volunteer one print each.  There's no way that they'll
ever be able to use that as evidence in a court or for any other purpose,
either.

Another fun thing to do is to use prints from dead people.  A
friend who works in a hospital can help.  Medical students can sometimes
get access to dead bodies, but many used for teaching purposes (the
bodies, not the students) already have the skin removed, thus they have no
prints.  Best to examine those dead digits yourself before sneaking in the
card and ink.  I also understand that taking prints from a corpse can be 
difficult, so plan on having a friend help or on having some rigging 
equipment to get the appropriate positioning for the body.  Pre-detached 
or detachable limbs would be helpful. 

If you're forced to do this in person with a tech, you can continuously 
"fight" the grip they have on your hand and smudge the card.  However, 
they'll not submit the card until the prints are "good," so this sort of 
betrays your intent of at least appearing to cooperate with them.  In the 
law enforcement community, they are taught how to take prints by force 
but it's unlikely that your tech will attempt any such technique.

You can mutilate the tips of your fingers so that prints cannot be 
acquired, but this hurts.  Badly.

You could get some false latex coverings for your finger tips, but they'd 
have to be damn good to fool a tech.  Likely to cost big bucks, too.

I know of no chemical or physical "pre-treatment" that can be used to 
hack the ink transference process.  Perhaps one of the chemists here on 
the list might know of some good technique.

If you want professional help, I've heard talk of a fingerprint expert in
California who offers expert testimony in courts, and so forth.  His name
is Greg Moore.  He is, however, a retired cop.  I do not know how willing
he'd be to give you expert advice on hacking a fingerprint card, but it's
worth a try.  He would most likely at least answer some questions about 
the fingerprinting process, depending upon how pleading and helpless you 
can sound.  You can reach him at gmoore@lightlink.satcom.net.  He 
may be willing to help you for free, or perhaps for a fee. 
 
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|      Liberty is truly dead              |Mark Aldrich                 | 
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