: Managed by NIST, this is one of the most famous datasets for facial recognition research, containing thousands of images under controlled conditions.
If you are looking for datasets used for forensic training or computer vision research, there are specific, publicly available resources often associated with government standards:
The FBI does not provide a public "zip" download of its facial recognition database. Their primary system, the Next Generation Identification (NGI) , is a secure, multi-biometric repository used only by vetted law enforcement.
: As of recent reports, the FBI has access to over 641 million photos , including 30 million criminal mugshots and millions of civil photos from driver's licenses and passports.
: Organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the GAO have frequently criticized the lack of transparency and privacy protections surrounding this massive collection of images. 2. Legitimate "FBI Faces" Research Datasets
: Be cautious of unofficial sites claiming to offer an "FBI Face Database" download. These are often malware traps or phishing attempts designed to exploit curiosity about sensitive government data. Next Generation Identification (NGI) — LE - FBI.gov
: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the Computer Forensic Reference Data Sets (CFReDS) , which include zip files of simulated forensic data for testing tools.