A Classification of Biometric Applications wanted by Politics: Passports, Person Tracking and Fight against Terror

The first part of this paper deals with biometric technologies used for authentication purposes, e.g. facial recognition, iris patterns and fingerprints. It is noted that biometric identification techniques are in principle more effective than computer ID processes such as passwords or digital signatures.

Biometrics and passports: this is divided into two classes of application. In the first, data is kept on an encrypted chip within the passport. In the second, data is maintained on a central database.

Biometrics and Person tracking and Biometrics and the Fight against Terror: with central biometric databases necessary for biometric surveillance systems, various biometric combinations are analysed.

Anti-Terror biometrics: it is noted that state authorities are not organised in such as way as to be able to easily identify a small number of terrorists within a population of millions. There is a discussion on the use of a possible international biometric lattice involving the collection of data for the purposes of antiterrorism, and its use by national executive authorities.

Analysis of privacy issues focuses on false acceptance and rejection rates: it is argued that current technology is far from infallible.

Source: Arslan Brömme’s website