QAPLA by Biometrica

Real-Time, Privacy-First 1:1 Image Comparison
For Credentialed and Trained Law Enforcement Analysts, Investigators, Prosecutors’ Offices  & Medical Examiners

Confirm identities, recover victims, and avoid false positives — without storing or transmitting biometrics.

What is QAPLA?

QAPLA stands for Query Application for Persons Like or Analogous and it is a real-time, image-to-image comparison tool built exclusively for authorized personnel. It allows investigators to rapidly determine if two images likely represent the same person — without biometric storage or mass surveillance.

QAPLA is:

  • Restricted to trained law enforcement investigators, analysts, medical examiners, prosecutors’ offices, and other vetted partners
  • Non-retentive — no biometrics or biometric identifiers are accessed, stored or transmitted
  • Designed to be used during:
    • Criminal investigations
    • Missing persons recovery
    • Victim identification
    • Fieldwork by on-scene investigators
    • Identity confirmation for deceased individuals by medical examiners

A Vital Investigative Tool

QAPLA works instantly (in less than a second) and helps:

  • Confirm whether two photos belong to the same individual
  • Avoid wasting resources on false leads
  • Provide a secondary verification layer for investigative and forensic teams
  • Support human trafficking, missing person, and MMIP (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons) cases
  • Confirm identity of deceased individuals in the field or post-mortem scenarios

Real-world examples
QAPLA can and has successfully confirmed matches between childhood images and decades-old adult photos — without relying on subjective age-progression modeling.

QAPLA can and has successfully confirmed matches between an image from a license and an image of a deceased individual, leading to a confirmation of identification and case closure. 

QAPLA can and has successfully confirmed matches on masked individuals, from images taken from CCTV footage to UMbRA, leading to case closure. 

Caveat: This depends on image quality, lighting, and reference image.

How QAPLA Works

  1. Authorized personnel upload two images.
  2. QAPLA compares them using a NIST-approved 3rd party facial similarity algorithm that works in an isolated black box environment.
  3. The investigator receives a similarity score within seconds.
  4. No biometric templates, faceprints, or images are stored or retained.
  5. Only the investigator initiating the query can view results.

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Privacy & Security

QAPLA follows Biometrica’s strict privacy model:

  • No mass surveillance
  • No biometric storage
  • No video footage captured or archived
  • Comparisons performed securely via a third-party NIST-approved black box system, in an isolated environment
  • Biometrica staff have no access to any search, query, or result
  • Every use is auditable

Access Control

QAPLA access is granted only to:

  • Trained law enforcement analysts 
  • Public safety investigators
  • Medical examiners
  • Investigators in prosecutors’ officers
  • Vetted partners engaged in investigations, victim identification, or related duties


LINK TO BIOMETRIC DATA POLICY

LINK TO FRT POLICY FOR LE

Connect or Schedule a Demo: Email leo@biometrica.com