Tracking Students & Citizens With Globally Connected Biometric Databases
Biometric Database Law, originated in Israel, determines fingerprints and facial recognition software use to collect data on Israeli citizens as justified by decree of the Israeli government. This data is used for identification purposes by law enforcement and governmental agencies to deter criminal activity. However the Israeli government collects massive amounts of data on its citizens that violate their inherent right to privacy.
Israeli residents are subject to biometric tracking through passports and identification cards.
In the UK, the National Pupil Database (NPD) houses biometric information about British students for use of the government. The Administrative Data Liaison Service describes
the NPD as “one of the richest education datasets in the world, holding
a wide range of information about students who attend schools and
colleges in England. The NPD combines the examination results of pupils
with information on pupil and school characteristics and is an
amalgamation of a number of different datasets, including Key State
attainment data and Schools Census data (formerly known as PLASC) which
are linked using a unique identifier for each pupil.”
The Biometrics Institute (BI),
an international coalition of biometric users, academics and industry
members want the UK government to rethink their widening use of the NPD
as well as their burgeoning use of biometric technologies to create
database profiles on citizens. BI is concerned that private sector
corporations would now have access to the NPD which would open the door
for Facebook and Google to use this information for nefarious purposes.
The BI was formed to “promote the
responsible use of biometrics as an international forum for biometric
users and other interested parties.” Their goals are to make sure:
• Promote ethical use of biometric technologies
• Retain privacy considerations
• Educate the public, governments and corporations on biometrics
• Influence standards of use of biometrics
• Test technology for on behalf of the industry
• Encourage research and development of biometrics
• Retain privacy considerations
• Educate the public, governments and corporations on biometrics
• Influence standards of use of biometrics
• Test technology for on behalf of the industry
• Encourage research and development of biometrics
The Department of Education in the UK
uses this database which stores extremely sensitive information about
students, their parent’s social and educational background, finances,
health, intelligence and social training, personal information, mental
health records as well as fingerprints and facial recognition.
Terry Aulich, chair of the BI Privacy
Committee explained: “Privacy breaches can have dangerous and disturbing
consequences. All parents and pupils need water-tight guarantees to
prevent any personal data, whether it is linked or consolidated, getting
into the wrong hands or being misused by external groups such as the
media and marketers, and criminals. Children cannot exercise informed
consent about how their data is used and their parents are often unaware
of the risks.”
More than 200 CCTV cameras have been installed in
bathrooms and changing rooms to monitor students in the UK. Nick
Pickles, director of Big Brother Watch said that parents were not aware
of this new development and that schools should explain what is being
done with the footage recorded.
These cameras were installed in 207
schools in England, Scotland and Wales. While the reasoning for this
development is explained as necessary to divert crime, there is no
significant research proving that CCTV cameras lower crime rates.
December 28, 2012
Pakalertpress