Advances in technology have allowed mankind to develop innovative tools and techniques. Biometrics is one of the processes that have resulted from progress in technological innovation. Biometrics is mainly used in such areas as access control and authentication (Newman, 2009). 1 This technology relies on such human features as fingerprints and iris patterns to authenticate and confirm identities. While biometrics has revolutionized many human endeavors, it has also presented challenges. Violations of ethical guidelines and privacy are two of the challenges that have resulted from biometrics. If this technology is to become more useful, these challenges must be addressed.
Ethical and privacy issues
Many organizations from different parts of the world have embraced biometrics in an effort to enhance their processes. For example, such countries as Kenya have integrated biometrics into the voter registration, verification and voting processes (Dingoni, 2017). Surveillance of civilian populations is among the ethical issues that has been the focus of debate. It is feared that governments could use biometric data to conduct unlawful surveillance (“Biometric Security Poses”, 2014). This fear is indeed well-founded. Recently, it was revealed that the National Security Administration (NSA) had developed a program through which it spied on the American people. As more data is gathered using biometric technology, such agencies as the NSA could revamp their surveillance operations. Government agencies are not the only parties that could exploit biometric technology to carry out surveillance. Criminal organizations could also use this technology to facilitate their operations.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The need to obtain consent before acquiring biometric data such as iris scans is another ethical concern that biometric technology has caused. The Carnegie Mellon University is working with the US Department of Defense to develop a technology that will be capable of obtaining the iris scans of individuals who are in a crowd from as far as ten meters away (“Biometric Security Poses”, 2014). This is indeed a concern. With this technology, the government and other parties will be able to acquire data without necessarily seeking the consent of the concerned individual. It is evident that the threats that biometrics presents are the results of technological advances. Without these advances, governments would not be able to spy on their people. There are a number of vital issues that technology introduces to biometrics. The ability to gather biometric data remotely and without obtaining consent is among these issues. As noted above, the technology that Carnegie Mellon University is developing will allow for iris scans to be acquired remotely.
Another concern that biometric technology has raised concerns addressing security threats and attacks. Today, identity theft is among the greatest challenges that the world faces. When one suffers an identity theft, he could simply replace such items as his credit card. This solution cannot be applied in a situation where biometric data has been stolen (Gartland, 2016). For instance, one may consider the case of a bank which holds huge amounts of biometric data. Suppose that this data is stolen. The bank cannot provide its customers with new biomarkers such as fingerprints or iris scanners. The example of this bank shows that biometrics is a very sensitive technology. In the event of an attack, it may be impossible to insulate individuals against harm.
Impacts on organizations
Biometric technology has had far-reaching impacts on the operations of organizations. For example, this technology has made organizations the targets of attacks. In 2017, the personal details of 143 million customers of Equifax were stolen (Timberg, Dwoskin & Fung, 2017). While these details were not of a biometric nature, this attack indicates that firms are being targeted. In response to the attacks and threats that they face, companies are taking measures. Adopting stricter security protocols is among these measures. For instance, Apple continues to invest in the security of the biometric features of such devices as its phones. It is true that there have been instances where individuals have been able to fool the biometric features (Fox-Brewster, 2017). For example, the face recognition feature on some models of iPhones is so unreliable that it can be fooled using an individual’s photograph. With further refinements, these features will become more reliable.
Pledging to safeguard user data is another measure that firms that are worried about the negative effects of biometric technology are instituting. For example, Apple refused to comply with government requests for access into the phones of suspects (Lichtblau & Benner, 2016). This company is among the many that are committed to ensuring that the government does not abuse its powers and conduct illegal surveillance. Other technology companies have joined Apple in defending privacy rights.
The ethical and privacy issues that accompany biometric technology are not new. These issues are not necessarily the result of advances in technology. One would be being reasonable when they argue that even without these advances, these issues would still arise. For example, well before the development of such technologies as iris and fingerprint scanners, governments were spying on their people. For example, US government agencies are accused of spying on the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement (Kayyali, 2014) 2 . Therefore, it is clear that the government is simply bent on monitoring its people. While technology aids the surveillance efforts, it is not a necessary requirement. In conclusion, the ethical and privacy issues resulting from biometric technology are indeed serious. All concerned stakeholders need to combine their effort and address these issues if the full potential of biometrics is to be realized.
References
Biometric Security Poses Huge Privacy Risks. (2014). Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/biometric-security-poses-huge-privacy-risks/
Dingoni, E. (2017). Mass Biometric Voter Registration- Lessons from Kenya . Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.zesn.org.zw/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Lessons-from-Kenya-Article-1.pdf
Fox-Brewster, T. (2017). Apple Face ID ‘Fooled again’- this Time by $200 Evil Twin Mask. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/11/27/apple-face-id-artificial-intelligence-twin-mask-attacks-iphone-x/#60780cb22775
Gartland, C. (2016). Biometrics are a Grave Threat to Privacy. Retrieved March 3, 2018 From https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/07/05/biometrics-and-banking/biometrics-are-a-grave-threat-to-privacy
Kayyali, D. (2014). The History of Surveillance and the Black Community. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/02/history-surveillance-and-black-community
Lichtblau, E., & Benner, K. (2016). Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/18/technology/apple-timothy-cook-fbi-san-bernardino.html
Newman, R. (2009). Security and Access Control using Biometric Technologies. Boston: Cengage.
Timberg, C., Dwoskin, E., & Fung, B. (2017). Data of 143 Million Americans Exposed In Hack of Credit Reporting Agency Equifax. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/equifax-hack-hits-credit-histories-of-up-to-143-million-americans/2017/09/07/a4ae6f82-941a-11e7-b9bc-b2f7903bab0d_story.html?utm_term=.ac5f3385e70e
