With biometric technology rapidly improving in recent years and becoming more and more commonplace in our daily lives, it is important to start considering what this means for public safety. As convenient and efficient as these systems can be, this technology comes with inevitable and rather serious risks.
So, what exactly are the threats to safety, and what steps has Scotland taken to tackle them?
The pros and cons
Biometric recognition has been around for perhaps longer than you think — fingerprints being used to identify people has potentially been in practice since as far back as 500 B.C. and the first instance of a facial recognition system can be traced back to the mid-90s. Fast forward to today, and many modern smartphones, buildings with limited access, and even some payment processes utilise fingerprints or facial recognition in lieu of passwords.
While biometrics identification means you don’t have to rely on remembering regular passwords, not having to write down a memo that could be found by others doesn’t mean you are safe from hackers as this data is still susceptible to interception. While this won’t necessarily lead to something as dramatic as identity theft, it is still important to be wary of where you provide any biometric data and how it may be stored.
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On a grander scale, another arguably positive use of biometrics is when it can be deployed to identify missing persons and criminals. However, the latter in particular comes with some complicated ethical concerns, including the possibility of misidentification.
No technology is 100% reliable, and inherent technology bias is an ongoing concern that has led to many debates on the risk it imposes on certain demographics, particularly regarding race and gender. It is possible for biometric systems to wrongly identify someone, which can have severe consequences when put into practice for criminal justice processes.
Scotland steps up
With the development of any new technology that comes into use in the legal system comes the need for measures that can promise accountability and public safety. Scotland has already taken steps to address human rights concerns regarding the fair use of biometric data by being the first country in the world to release a formal code of practice. This code, introduced just last year, aims to detail the legal responsibilities of people involved in the ‘acquisition, retention, use and disposal’ of such data in the criminal justice system.
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Some of the things covered by the code of practice include laws regarding human rights, data protection, as well as public information, review and appeal processes, and validation mechanisms to ensure the reliability of biometric data usage. In addition, the code covers other concerns such as how and when biometric data is taken from those in vulnerable groups, including minors and those with mental disorders, in the criminal justice system.
Final thoughts
It seems ironic that data that is kept for your safety can present privacy and safety issues, and not just related to password theft. However, with this technology becoming integral to many legal and mundane aspects of life, it is essential that systems involved in handling such private data are kept under review.
Thankfully, Scotland has set an example by laying out a legal framework that other places in the world are sure to follow. While there will no doubt be room for improvement and further consideration, there is hope that the risks presented by biometric identification technology can be adequately addressed in order to continue using them for public service.
