Is Biometric Technology A Path to Human Flourishing or a Brink to a Dystopian Society?
The debate over collecting personal data through biometric recognition technology has sparked significant controversy. On one side, proponents argue that this technology has the potential to bring about innovation, societal development, and numerous advantages that can improve education, enhance human health, and save countless lives. However, critics fear biometric recognition may pose significant risks to privacy and security. This article will delve into this contentious issue and explore whether biometric recognition is the pathway to a future of human flourishing or the brink of a dystopian society.
Let's first look at the positives:
Biometric Recognition and Human Flourishing
Utilization in Improving Education
Traditional methods of assessing student engagement, such as surveys and assessments, are often retrospective and delayed. However, biometric technology can potentially transform the educational landscape by offering real-time insights into students' emotional states. This real-time feedback loop can help educators tailor their teaching methods, leading to better academic performance, increased societal contributions, improved job prospects, and enhanced lives for students. As stated by Roberts in 2022, emotion recognition and inferential analysis fundamentally transform the educational landscape, providing real-time insights and continuous feedback loops. Biometric recognition technology enables measuring and improving student engagement in real time, potentially revolutionizing education.
Utilization in Improving Human Health
Biometric recognition technology has the potential to usher in a medical breakthrough by offering non-invasive and precise diagnostics. For instance, fingertip sweat analysis can diagnose diseases like breast cancer with a remarkable accuracy rate of 97.8% (Russo et al. 2021). Additionally, it can prevent patient misidentification, which leads to millions of avoidable deaths globally. In the US alone, medical errors lead to more than 250,000 deaths each year (Johns Hopkins 16), many related to patient misidentification. Biometric recognition, through the collection of fingertip data, can be used for patient identification, with 0 false positives reported in a study a 97% positive ID rate, and 0 false positives (Sohn et al. 20), ensuring that treatments and medications are correctly administered. In an era of global pandemics, biometric wearables, such as smartwatches, can offer early detection of infectious diseases like COVID-19, potentially saving countless lives. With Covid still fresh in our minds, the potential to prevent future global health crises is evident. The advantages of biometric recognition in healthcare are clear, with the potential to revolutionize disease diagnosis and pandemic preparedness.
Advancing Criminal Investigations and Counterterrorism
Biometric recognition technology has significantly enhanced criminal investigations and counterterrorism efforts. Before, the work required for fingerprint analysis was highly labor-intensive, often leaving valuable data untapped due to human inability to deal with unreadable data. Tools like AFISleuth and the AFIS afterburner have made identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting suspects easier, mainly when dealing with substantial data volumes. A ban on these technologies could push law enforcement back to a time when wrongful conviction and incarceration were much more common. The potential consequences could include jeopardizing public safety, as it might not be the world where we feel safer. Biometric recognition is essential for counterterrorism efforts, providing law enforcement with crucial data to locate and prosecute terrorists.
Enhancing Security
While concerns about biometric data security are valid, it's essential to acknowledge that biometrics are the newest widely-used authentication system. As the technology improves, vectors of attack will become increasingly small. Highly secure facilities worldwide, safeguarding sensitive scientific and military information, rely on biometric authorization. Research institutions and military installations employ biometrics extensively to safeguard against intrusion and theft. Fingerprint scanners are commonplace in labs handling dangerous pathogens, as certified by the National Institutes of Health (Golembiewski, 2020). Additionally, biometrics are used for access control and identification at military checkpoints (Zwanenburg, 2020). This isn't mere conjecture; it's a vital defense against modern threats, including quantum hacking technology (Quantum Hacking Threat and a Countermeasure via Quantum Secure Direct Communication). In a world where traditional authentication systems are prone to theft and human error, with the prevalence of stolen username-password pairs on the dark web estimated at 15 billion sets (Silva, 2021), biometrics offer a more secure alternative.
Biometric recognition technology is a linchpin of safety and security, protecting citizens from crime and terrorism.
Fostering Inclusion
Biometric recognition technology has the potential to foster inclusion across various domains, including social, financial services, and political inclusion. Johnson's research in Andhra Pradesh, as documented in 2008, highlighted how using biometric smartcards for payment delivery curbed fraud and empowered recipients. It increased convenience, reduced waiting times, and lower collection costs. It ensured that payments reached female beneficiaries directly, mitigating the common practice of redirecting funds to male relatives. Furthermore, technology has played a pivotal role in extending social safety nets to impoverished citizens in the Dominican Republic. Multiple cases demonstrate how biometric recognition can enhance access to financial services, exemplified by the use of biometric ATMs in Bolivia and Nepal, as well as providing identification acceptable for banking Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements. Additionally, biometric recognition has facilitated political inclusion, such as Bolivia's expansion of its electoral roll to incorporate a substantial number of previously undocumented citizens.
However, do these positives genuinely outweigh the potential threat and negative consequences the advancement of biometric recognition technology poses to our society? Let’s look at the negatives and potential threats this technology entails:
As humans, our innate desire to protect our freedom and privacy is paramount. The idea of living in a dystopian society, as depicted in George Orwell's "1984," where everything is controlled and monitored, is a chilling prospect. In the 21st century, the age of technology has seen the development of numerous innovations, some of which are pushing the boundaries of our dystopian fears. The question arises: can we tolerate a world where biometric recognition technology grants governments unprecedented control over aspects such as employment, movement, association, and speech? Unfortunately, many governments worldwide seem to harbor a desire for control, and biometric technology is a vital tool in their arsenal. Without biometrics, the finely-tuned technological Big Brother might not be possible.
Privacy Protection
The primary concern surrounding biometric recognition technology is the protection of individuals' privacy. Biometric data, such as fingerprints, facial recognition, and iris scans, is profoundly personal and unique to each individual. Once collected, it can be used to track and monitor individuals without their consent, leading to a significant invasion of privacy. A glaring example of the risks associated with biometric data collection is the recent discovery of a publicly accessible database containing the fingerprints and facial recognition information of over 1 million people. This vulnerability exposed sensitive information from organizations like the UK Metropolitan Police, defense contractors, and banks. Such incidents underscore the inherent dangers in collecting and storing biometric data, even by well-established institutions.
State Abuse
The potential for state abuse is a significant concern. For instance, in Russia, a surveillance system known as "Safe City" was initially designed to enhance public safety but has been turned against protestors, political rivals, and journalists. It's not just a China issue; corruption and abuse of power exist in many countries worldwide. If biometric recognition technology becomes prevalent, it could subject millions of people to suffering, making the dystopian vision of totalitarian control a reality. Biometric data collection can be exploited for mass surveillance, undermining democratic values and chilling free speech and assembly.
Corporation Abuse
The potential dominance of biometric recognition technology exacerbates the fear of losing freedom in a progressive society like ours. The absence of federal laws protecting individuals from corporations that collect and use personal information for profit poses a significant risk. Facial recognition technology deployed in retail stores or shopping malls can continuously monitor customers, collecting data on their demographics, emotions, and behaviors. This information can be exploited for creating consumer profiles and enabling targeted advertising, potentially leading to discriminatory practices.
Many corporations rely on collecting and monetizing personal data as a core part of their business model, but biometric data, being highly personal and unique, is particularly valuable. Unauthorized profiling and tracking by corporations and the potential sale or sharing of biometric data with third parties open the door to privacy violations and potential abuses. Moreover, the rise in identity theft is a pressing concern, with the USA experiencing an increase in fraudulent use of identities for financial gain.
In conclusion, biometric technology poses unimaginable benefits to our society in terms of developing our education and health system, and threats to abuse and control of society. Considering the following arguments, what perspective have you formed on this innovative technology? Tell us your opinion by texting us via our Instagram @ohmyecon!
Written by Yasmin Uzykanova
