The imperative for responsible use of biometrics

By Youzec Kurp, VP Identity & Biometric Solutions at Thales

In today’s digital age, biometric technologies have emerged as powerful tools, offering convenience and security in various domains. However, as we embrace the potential of biometrics, it becomes crucial to ensure their responsible use. Balancing the benefits with the potential risks and ethical concerns is essential to protect individual privacy and maintain societal trust. This article argues for the need to exercise caution and implement stringent safeguards to promote the responsible use of biometrics.

The rise of biometrics

Biometric technologies, such as fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, and iris scanning, have gained significant traction across industries. From unlocking smartphones to verifying identities at airports, biometrics offer quick and accurate identification. Their adoption has simplified various processes, enhanced security, and streamlined operations. However, as biometrics become more pervasive, it is vital to evaluate their impact on privacy, consent, and potential abuse.

Privacy concerns

One of the primary concerns surrounding biometrics is the potential invasion of privacy. Biometric data, once compromised, cannot be changed like passwords. Unauthorized access to biometric databases could have far-reaching consequences for individuals, potentially leading to identity fraud. Moreover, the increasing use of video protection systems in some regions utilizing biometrics raises concerns about mass surveillance and the erosion of civil liberties. Therefore, strict regulations and oversight mechanisms are necessary to protect individual privacy rights.

Ethical implications

Biometric technologies also raise ethical questions. Recently some facial recognition algorithms have been found to exhibit biases against certain gender, racial or ethnic groups, leading to unfair treatment and discrimination. Today luckily enough the accuracy of the algorithms combined with a strong non-discriminatory approach from suppliers, can help fight such biases. Additionally, the collection and storage of biometric data, if mishandled or shared without consent, can violate personal autonomy. All in all, balancing the ethical considerations involves ensuring transparency in algorithms, conducting thorough impact assessments, and promoting inclusivity and diversity in technology development.

Security and vulnerabilities

While biometrics provide enhanced security, they are not fool proof. Biometric data can be stolen, replicated, or manipulated, leaving individuals vulnerable to identity fraud. Hackers have already breached biometric databases, exposing millions of individuals to potential risks. To address these vulnerabilities, robust encryption methods and continuous monitoring of biometric systems are imperative to safeguard against unauthorized access and protect against potential breaches. With end-to-end encrypted data, even if taken out from a system then it becomes totally unusable.

Regulation and transparency

To promote responsible use, governments and organizations must implement comprehensive regulations and frameworks for biometric technology. These should include stringent security measures, clear guidelines for data storage and retention, and mechanisms for obtaining informed consent. Transparency is crucial, ensuring that individuals understand how and why their biometric data will be used and giving them control over its storage and sharing. All this to make sure people understand the use of the personal data as well as the process for accessing it or how they can ask the service provider to delete it. This creates a framework favourable to the deployment of biometrics solutions and, more importantly, to its acceptability.

Conclusion

As we embrace the potential of biometric technologies, we must prioritize responsible use. The advantages they offer should not overshadow the risks to privacy, security, and ethical considerations. Striking a balance between convenience and individual rights requires robust regulation, transparency, and ongoing scrutiny of biometric systems. Only by doing so can we ensure the protection of privacy, the prevention of discrimination, and the preservation of trust in our increasingly digital world.

About the author

Youzec Kurp is Vice President Identity & Biometric Solutions at Thales. Learn more about Thales TrUE Biometrics approach.

DISCLAIMER: Biometric Update’s Industry Insights are submitted content. The views expressed in this post are that of the author, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Biometric Update.

Article Topics

best practices  |  biometrics  |  data protection  |  digital identity  |  ethics  |  regulation  |  Thales Digital Identity and Security