What are biometrics?

Biometry is used to identify people on the basis of their biological properties. This growing technological field has deep consequences, as the demonstration of identity becomes an integral part of our everyday life. To reveal the prevalence that biometry could achieve, let's look at Thomas Day.

Thomas wakes up in the morning and checks his e -mail on his computer. Its service provider requires Thomas to confirm that it is he who checks his account; The user name and password are pressed with your thumb against the biometric scanner on the keyboard. The system confirms that in fact Thomas A gives access to his messages. On his way to work he enters his car, but instead of using the key to identify it as a vehicle owner, another biometric scanner checks his fingerprint to confirm that he has a permission to enter. ATHe knows him and confirms that he has permission to access all programs and files in the computer network.

For lunch, Thomas is going through a short wheelchair with some colleagues to a nearby restaurant. After entering the wheelchair, a biometric camera for facial recognition recognizes it and automatically charges its bank account. The restaurant applies with a "credit card", but instead of using a real card, pushing the thumb against a portable biometric scanner. No signature is required and is verified almost immediately. On his way home from work he stops in the library to lift the book and check it by biometric scanning of the retina instead of a library card.

It is clear that our identity is often required; For the time being we use a wide range of methods to verpokud is our identity: usernames, passwords, signatures, keys, cards, etc. Biometrics allow us to verify with things we carry where we can go, howo are our hands, eyes, voices, faces, fingerprints, etc. In addition to comfort, biometrics can be much more efficient; For example, a key or card may fall into someone else's hands. The promise of easy and increased security is perhaps the most attractive features of biometric.

The disadvantage of all advantages of biometry is personal privacy. If we are identified at different points during the day, will large companies, government or other institutions monitor our behavior and use this data in an unexpected or invasive way? These questions must be solved before the biometry will have a chance to go through our daily life.