The Taliban reportedly seized biometrics equipment used by the U.S. military that could help identify Afghan citizens who worked for the U.S. government and supported the Allies, and the Taliban reportedly provided U.S. support. Governments raising concerns that the information could be used to retaliate as a result of the collapse received.

A device known as HIIDE for handheld inter-ministerial identification detectors Seized last week as the Taliban marched aggressively to overtake Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, sources told Intercept. The information stored on the device includes iris scans, fingerprints, and biographical information, a news agency reported on Tuesday. They can also be used to access a wide range of centralized databases, reportedly.

“We had to deal with thousands of locals a day, issue identification cards, wipe out suicide vests, weapons, intelligence gathering, etc.” U.S. military contractors said I told the intercept. “”[HIIDE] It was used as a biometric ID tool to help locals with IDs working for the coalition. “

These devices played an important role in the United States’ decades of war on terrorism and helped identify Osama bin Laden during the 2011 attack on Pakistan’s compounds. But it also Collect biometric data about 80% of Afghanistan’s population, Or about 25 million people, NPR reported earlier this year.

Over the last two decades, more than 300,000 Afghan civilians have been involved in the mission of the United States, according to the Japan Disaster Relief Team. Approximately 2,000 Afghans fled to the United States as the withdrawal of U.S. troops caused turmoil in Afghanistan, but thousands have long been due to the special immigrant visa required to leave Afghanistan for the United States. It is said that it has fallen into the unprocessed portion.

But thousands of Afghan translators, interpreters, others, and their families who helped the U.S. government in Afghanistan are in serious danger if the new leaders of the country know their identities. It is widely feared that you may face it.

Biometrics is the key to facial recognition technology commonly used for everyday tasks such as unlocking phone Tag friends on social media, but also used by law enforcement and the military to identify suspects and other individuals.

In 2019, the Chinese government used facial recognition software to track and manage 11 million Uighurs, a major minority in the country. New York Times.. According to The Times, the technology used a vast network of surveillance cameras to look for Uighurs based on their appearance, monitor their movements, and put millions in camps.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to the request for comment.