Pseudoscientist “Dr.” Charles Humble Attempts to Censor AntiPolygraph.org

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AntiPolygraph.org has received a rather unpleasant letter from James D’Loughy, a lawyer representing NITV Federal Services, LLC (NITV), which markets a scientifically baseless voice-based lie detector called the “Computer Voice Stress Analyzer,” and its president, self-described “Renaissance Man” “Dr.” Charles Humble (who has not received a doctoral degree from any accredited institute of higher education). … Read more

SDPD Polygraph Screening Documents Disclosed

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AntiPolygraph.org has published a set of documents concerning the San Diego Police Department’s polygraph practices. These documents, which date to 2017, focus primarily on pre-employment polygraph screening. The most notable document, titled “SDPD DLST Preemployment Script” instructs the polygraph operator how to conduct the “pre-test” procedure. “DLST” stands for “directed-lie screening test.” Directed-lie “control” questions … Read more

NITV Threatens Competitor’s IT Consultant With Federal Lawsuit

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In July 2018, the so-named National Institute for Truth Verification (NITV) of West Palm Beach, Florida, which markets a scientifically baseless lie detector called the Computer Voice Stress Analyzer (CVSA), filed in Florida a federal lawsuit against competitor Dektor Corporation and its sole proprietor, Arthur Herring III, of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. Dektor markets a similarly scientifically … Read more

Polygraph Critic Doug Williams to Testify in New Mexico Criminal Case

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Longtime polygraph critic Doug Williams, himself a former police polygraph operator, is scheduled to testify as an expert witness against the admissibility of polygraph evidence in a New Mexico court hearing scheduled for 30 May 2019. Dr. Alan Vaughn Emamdee of Farmington, New Mexico faces an 11-count indictment for alleged sexual abuse of patients and … Read more

Federal Judge Orders Immediate Removal of Website Critical of Computer Voice Stress Analysis

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Computer Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA) is a pseudoscientific “lie detector” marketed to government agencies by the so-named National Institute of Truth Verification (NITV) in West Palm Beach, Florida. Although NITV has admitted in court that “CVSA is not capable of lie detection,” in marketing its Emperor’s-new-clothes “technology,” it continues to claim that CVSA is “over … Read more

A Critical Examination of Converus Inc.’s Pseudoscientific “EyeDetect” Lie Detector

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In “An Eye-Scanning Lie Detector Is Forging a Dystopian Future,” Wired science writer Mark Harris investigates “EyeDetect,” a new scientifically unproven lie detector being hawked as a replacement for the old scientifically unproven polygraph. Converus Inc. of Lehi, Utah, which markets EyeDetect, claims without proof that it can detect lies with 86% accuracy. Mark Harris … Read more

Snake Oil Salesman Alex Martin and AC Global Risk’s “Remote Risk Assessment”

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In “The Dangerous Junk Science of Vocal Risk Assessment,” Ava Kofman of The Intercept examines “Remote Risk Assessment,” a voice stress analysis application being marketed by AC Global Risk, a San Francisco-based company led by U.S. Marine Corps veteran Alexander Martin. The company characterizes Remote Risk Assessment as “a sophisticated system that uses unique voice … Read more

NSA Blocks AntiPolygraph.org on Twitter

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The NSA (@NSAgov) has blocked AntiPolygraph.org (@ap_org) from following and viewing the NSA’s tweets: Curious about what may have prompted this action, we used Google to search twitter.com for matches including both “ap_org” and “NSAGov.” We found two replies that we posted to tweets the NSA made on 9 July 2018. Here is the first … Read more

Mark Harris on Law Enforcement Pre-Employment Polygraph Screening

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Wired has published a major investigative article on law enforcement’s use of pre-employment polygraph screening. In The Lie Generator: Inside the Black Mirror World of Polygraph Job Screenings, science/technology writer Mark Harris (@meharris on Twitter) reports based on, among other sources, data gleaned from numerous public record access law requests filed with police and sheriff’s … Read more

The AntiPolygraph.org Podcast: Episode 1 – Polygraphs and the Kavanaugh Nomination

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In this episode, podcast host George Maschke discusses Professor Christine Blasey Ford’s polygraph examination in connection with her allegations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, critical journalism on polygraphy inspired by this development, a proposed polygraph dragnet at the White House, a recent interview of polygraph critic Doug Williams on the Lions of Liberty podcast, and AntiPolygraph.org’s 18th anniversary online. (Direct download, 7.9 MB MP3)

Show notes:

On Professor Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh:

“California professor, writer of confidential Brett Kavanaugh letter, speaks out about her allegation of sexual assault,” by Emma Brown. The Washington Post, 16 September 2018.

“Brett Kavanaugh’s Confirmation at Risk After Accusation by Christine Blasey Ford,” by Sheryl Gay Stolberg. The New York Times, 16 September 2018.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi calls on Brett Kavanaugh to take a lie detector “test.”

General reporting on polygraphy:

“Polygraph tests don’t work as lie detectors and they never have: It’s time to stop pinning our hopes on pseudoscience” by Eleanor Cummins in Popular Science.

“Why Do We Still Believe in Polygraphs?” by Alice B. Lloyd in the Weekly Standard.

“The Truth About Polygraph Tests: They’re junk science, inadmissible in court, and about as reliable as a pack of Tarot cards,” by Claire Berlinski in City Journal.

Senator Rand Paul Suggests Lie Detector “Tests” to Identify Author of New York Times Op-Ed

John Odermatt’s interview of polygraph critic Doug Williams on the Lions of Liberty podcast show, Felony Friday.

How to Contact AntiPolygraph.org.