Moldova proposes national facial image registry for law enforcement

Moldova’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has proposed the creation of a national Facial Image Registry (RIF), a state-operated biometric information system designed to assist law enforcement in identifying suspects, investigating crimes, locating missing persons, and identifying human remains.

The system would manage both identified and unidentified facial images, utilizing 1:1 and 1:N biometric comparison methods. The proposal aims to provide a national platform for biometric searches that connects with other government systems and eventually facilitates facial-image exchanges with European authorities.

The initiative comes as Moldova seeks to expand its law enforcement and border security capabilities due to regional concerns regarding terrorism, organized crime, and cross-border threats related to the war in neighboring Ukraine. The implementation of such a centralized system occurs amid a period of political polarization within the country.