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Biometric Identification Law and Ethics: Safeguarding Privacy in the Age of Surveillance

Preston Simmons

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Published in Biometric Identification Law And Ethics (SpringerBriefs In Ethics)

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In the age of surveillance, the use of biometric identification technologies is becoming increasingly widespread. Biometric identification systems rely on unique physical or behavioral characteristics to identify individuals, making them highly accurate and reliable. However, this power also raises a number of legal, ethical, and policy concerns.

Benefits of Biometric Identification

Biometric identification technologies offer a number of potential benefits, including:

Biometric Identification, Law and Ethics (SpringerBriefs in Ethics)

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Increased security: Biometric identification systems are more difficult to bypass than traditional identification methods, such as passwords or PIN numbers. This makes them ideal for use in high-security applications, such as bFree Download control or law enforcement.
Improved convenience: Biometric identification systems are more convenient for users than traditional identification methods. For example, users do not have to remember a password or PIN number, and they can be identified simply by providing a fingerprint or facial scan.
Reduced fraud: Biometric identification systems can help to reduce fraud by preventing individuals from using stolen or fake identification documents.

Risks of Biometric Identification

While biometric identification technologies offer a number of potential benefits, there are also a number of risks associated with their use. These risks include:

Privacy concerns: Biometric identification systems collect and store sensitive personal information. This information can be used to track and monitor individuals, and it can also be used to discriminate against certain groups of people.
Security concerns: Biometric identification systems are vulnerable to a number of attacks, including spoofing, tampering, and hacking. These attacks can compromise the security of the system and allow unauthorized individuals to access sensitive personal information.
False positives and false negatives: Biometric identification systems are not always 100% accurate. This can lead to false positives (i.e., the system incorrectly identifies an individual as someone else) and false negatives (i.e., the system incorrectly fails to identify an individual).

Legal and Ethical Issues

The use of biometric identification technologies raises a number of legal and ethical issues. These issues include:

The right to privacy: The use of biometric identification technologies raises concerns about the right to privacy. The collection and storage of sensitive personal information can be seen as an invasion of privacy, and it can also lead to discrimination and other forms of harm.
The right to equal protection: The use of biometric identification technologies can also raise concerns about the right to equal protection. If biometric identification systems are not used fairly and equitably, they can discriminate against certain groups of people, such as people of color, women, and people with disabilities.
The right to due process: The use of biometric identification technologies can also raise concerns about the right to due process. If biometric identification systems are used to make decisions about individuals, those individuals have the right to know how the system works and what information is being used to make decisions about them.

Policy Recommendations

In light of the legal, ethical, and policy concerns associated with the use of biometric identification technologies, it is important to develop policies that protect the privacy and rights of individuals. These policies should include:

Strong privacy protections: Policies should include strong privacy protections that limit the collection, storage, and use of biometric data. This may include requiring organizations to obtain consent from individuals before collecting their biometric data and limiting the use of biometric data to specific purposes.
Fair and equitable use: Policies should ensure that biometric identification systems are used fairly and equitably. This may include prohibiting the use of biometric identification systems for discriminatory purposes and requiring organizations to conduct regular audits to ensure that their systems are not biased.
Transparent and accountable use: Policies should ensure that biometric identification systems are used in a transparent and accountable manner. This may include requiring organizations to publish clear policies on how they collect, store, and use biometric data and providing individuals with access to their own biometric data.

Biometric identification technologies offer a number of potential benefits, but they also raise a number of legal, ethical, and policy concerns. It is important to develop policies that protect the privacy and rights of individuals while also allowing for the benefits of biometric identification technologies to be realized.

Biometric Identification, Law and Ethics (SpringerBriefs in Ethics)

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