Biometrics: Enhancing Security or Invading Privacy - Essay Example

As Jain, Bolle, and Pankanti (n.d) point out, biometrics will gradually become a prime appurtenance in identification technology, especially for the following reasons: repeatedly falling prices of biometric sensors, advancement in the underlying technology, increasing awareness among the public regarding the merits and demerits of the technology as such.

But a strong voice had been rising against the implementation of biometrics, especially regarding the threat posed by it to the privacy of persons. Biometric scanners which were in use in some airports in the U.S. were greatly criticized for the reason that security officers could observe the naked figures of the passengers through the scanner, and it is said that biometric scanners can even detect if a woman is pregnant. And this is the biggest challenge the technology has to overcome to to be globally practical.

Privacy is a fundamental right of an individual. Hence, anything that invadeone'ses privacy cannot be supported. Biometric methods have both positive and negative impacts on the privacy of a person. It enhances the control of the individual over his/her personal information thus reducing the likeliness of identifying theft. The Irish Council for Bioethics (2009) says that privacy concerns relating to biometrics are unambiguous in two spheres, namely personal privacy, i. e, abhorrence about personal identity, and bodily integrity and informational privacy relating to misuse of data and identity proofs. 

But the technology itself cannot be completely discarded only for these reasons because it has its own merits that are useful in providing extremely high levels of information security as well as clarity in security checks. Therefore, biometric systems should be upgraded ed that personal privacy is protected. The challenges faced by biometrics are rather societal and technological barriers. This concern about privacy is the only strong reason that is preventing ng widespread utilization of biometrics.

Modification of the technology is the only way to overcome this challenge and in fact, this concern is something that cannot be disregarded. While considering the current progress in our technology, the world can make biometric identification methods popularly accepted in a span of 5 to 10 years. Storing biometric data of every newborn child can be considered by the government without much delay as it can bring about serious amelioratiaboutd to information on citizens. It can enhance the casinos in the identification of a person, and the also government will be able to keep track of all the citizens of the country which in turn can become useful in investigations and enhancing security in the country.