How the RIF system works
According to the document, the ‘Register of Facial Images’ Information System (SI RIF) will be a specialised information resource designed for the recording, administration, comparison and validation of facial images.
Data in the system will be divided into two categories:
– Identified images — photographs of individuals whose identity has been officially established.
– Unidentified images — photographs of unidentified citizens, suspects or deceased persons.
Each image will be assigned a unique registration number. The system incorporates two key comparison algorithms:
– 1:1 mode — verification to check whether two specific photographs belong to the same person.
– 1:N mode — a biometric search in which a single photograph is compared with all images in the database to identify potential matches.
At the same time, the project implements the principle of mandatory human validation. The list of matches, automatically generated by the system, is considered merely a preliminary technical result. The final match must be checked and confirmed by a qualified specialist.
Where will the photographs in the register come from?
The sources from which the system is populated are strictly limited by law. The database will contain photographs obtained in the course of criminal proceedings, operational search activities and investigative measures, as well as material provided by the competent authorities of Moldova or other states.
The draft law does not provide for the automatic inclusion of photographs of all the country’s residents in the register. The inclusion of each photograph will require a lawful basis and a clearly defined purpose.
The system will also be able to exchange data with other state information resources. This information may be used to verify a person’s identity and their connection to a criminal case, a search case or another specific incident.
Protection against abuse and access control
Access to the register will be restricted and tiered according to the powers of authorised staff. To prevent misuse, the draft prohibits vague search queries without a specific purpose and the use of the system to create discriminatory profiles. All operations – from data entry and verification to archiving or deletion – will be recorded in electronic logs, specifying the time, user name and legal grounds.
The creation of the RIF is also linked to Moldova’s European integration process and the country’s planned inclusion in the European Prüm II mechanism for the automated exchange of data between the police forces of EU countries.
Under the cross-border exchange, only data on suspects, accused persons, defendants and convicted persons may be transferred, whilst information on missing persons and deceased persons is not subject to transfer abroad. In the initial phase, international cooperation will be limited to the transfer of a biometric code and registration number, whilst personal data will only be disclosed once both parties have confirmed a match.
Supervision of the register system
The state is the owner of the register, whilst the Ministry of the Interior will be responsible for coordinating and managing the system. The Ministry of the Interior’s Information Technology Service will be responsible for the development, functionality and administration of the databases, whilst the Information Technology and Cyber Security Service will provide the server infrastructure and cyber defence.
The project is currently at the development stage. Before final approval by the government, the project must undergo legal and anti-corruption reviews, as well as an assessment of its compliance with European Union law.
This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.
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