FROM AP
Euro terror alert puts spotlight on 'voiceprint' technology that helped uncover plot
By Raphael G. Satter (CP) – 1 day ago
LONDON — Did their voices betray them? The discovery of an alleged terror plot against Europe owes at least some of its success to "voiceprint" technology that allows law enforcement to electronically match a voice to its owner.
The technique — which some compare to fingerprinting — can be a powerful anti-terror tool, officials increasingly believe. Law enforcement agencies are already considering how a voice database could help thwart future plots.
The reported plot against European cities, in which suspects allegedly spoke of a Mumbai-style shooting spree, has triggered travel warnings and refocused attention on al-Qaida activities on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where several of the voices were recorded.
The British eavesdropping agency GCHQ deployed voice identification software to help uncover the plot that officials say has targeted Germany, Britain and France — with famed sites such as Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower under close surveillance.
"Advances in these types of technology have been key in thwarting plots and catching suspects," a British government official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of his work.
Despite progress made in quashing the plot, officials still speak of an ongoing threat.
Police in southern France on Tuesday arrested 12 suspects in sweeps against suspected Islamic militant networks, including three men linked to a network recruiting fighters for Afghanistan.
READ MORE
Euro terror alert puts spotlight on 'voiceprint' technology that helped uncover plot
By Raphael G. Satter (CP) – 1 day ago
LONDON — Did their voices betray them? The discovery of an alleged terror plot against Europe owes at least some of its success to "voiceprint" technology that allows law enforcement to electronically match a voice to its owner.
The technique — which some compare to fingerprinting — can be a powerful anti-terror tool, officials increasingly believe. Law enforcement agencies are already considering how a voice database could help thwart future plots.
The reported plot against European cities, in which suspects allegedly spoke of a Mumbai-style shooting spree, has triggered travel warnings and refocused attention on al-Qaida activities on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where several of the voices were recorded.
The British eavesdropping agency GCHQ deployed voice identification software to help uncover the plot that officials say has targeted Germany, Britain and France — with famed sites such as Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower under close surveillance.
"Advances in these types of technology have been key in thwarting plots and catching suspects," a British government official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of his work.
Despite progress made in quashing the plot, officials still speak of an ongoing threat.
Police in southern France on Tuesday arrested 12 suspects in sweeps against suspected Islamic militant networks, including three men linked to a network recruiting fighters for Afghanistan.
READ MORE
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