Meta: Technologies are not always accepted and welcomed so is the case of Biometric technology which is falling foul of privacy concerns.

Biometric is verily the cutting edge of technology. These are metrics related to human unique features used to identify a person. As an emerging technology, biometric authentication has gained ground in many sectors and it continues to permeate different aspects of our lives. Biometric technology using facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, iris scan, is used to validate a user.  This technology has added great convenience by replacing passwords and helped to catch many criminals by face recognition technology.Whether a physical world or a digital sphere, biometrics are actively used as a secure form of authenticating the users and allowing access to authorized users only.

A recent report by Valdosta Daily Times revealed that The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection unit has the charge of facial verification technology, promoting it as “the ideal technology path to a more seamless travel experience.” President Donald Trump has added urgency with a 2017 order that called for security officials to make biometrics a priority for security check.

Privacy Concerns related to Biometric Technology:

Despite the advances in Biometric Technology, bringing weird and wonderful benefits, there are also significant concerns surrounding it. There are serious privacy concerns related to this technology. Biometric data collected can be hacked. High profile data is especially an attractive target of hackers. So there is a need to secure this data but as biometric become more common this information will likely be available in more than one place which may not have the same level of secure storage to protect your data. Biometrics databases can be more vulnerable than any other kind of private data. One can change the password but not their fingerprint or face features mapped. It means that once this data is compromised it is no longer in your control. For instance, your fingerprints can be taken from the glass you touched and used by hackers to get access to your devices or accounts. Biometrics data can be duplicated which is a slippery slope to losing control of our identities altogether.

People are concerned about their private biometric data. German Airports have installed cameras for surveillance which has raised a lot of backlash from lawyers in Germany and some groups who feel that technology for securities will compromise their privacy.  In the US, a banfacialrecognition.com campaign has been launched by privacy advocates, calling for travelers to avoid airlines that use facial recognition technology.

How Can You Protect Biometric Data?

There are some common security measures one can take to protect his biometric data which includes:

• Keep a strong password so that it’s harder to steal your data by simply cracking simple passwords. Keep your biometric information to limited places, lowering the chances of data breaches by hackers.
• Keep your software updated. Wherever there is notification popping up for an available software update or patch, install it right away. This will reduce the opportunity of your device being vulnerable to security flaws. It is very important to keep your operating system and software current.
• If you are concerned about your biometric data being hacked, opt out of providing it. Consider other options instead that do not require face verification or fingerprints authentication. Like you can disable facial recognition in your Facebook settings.

To wrap up, laws governing biometrics are in progress. Lawmakers are creating cohesive law to address biometric privacy. Privacy concerns of people surround this technology and its use. As technology progresses, finding a balance between national security and individuals’ privacy rights is the subject of increasing discussion.