Trenton, N.J. — New Jersey drivers licenses just got a lot less happy, as smiling driver’s license photos have been banned in the state, reports CBS News.
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission staff is reportedly trained to instruct drivers to avoid smiling or frowning too much due to their facial recognition software, which is used in most states. Certain expressions apparently throw off the software, making it hard to detect who that person is.
"The distance between someone's mouth and their chin. The distance between their mouth and their nose. The distance between their eyes. And when you make a bizarre or obscure facial expression, it prohibits the computer from conducting the measurements it needs to do," spokeswoman Elyse Coffey explained.
No word if the “smiling ban” will expand to other states.
Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for New Jersey lawyers.
