Biometric Society

When you think of biometrics, what does it bring to mind? Is it invasive privacy breaching devices? I think it’s just the opposite. Biometric devices can become so secure that we could potentially eliminate many of the things in our lives that are privacy breaches and cause us to become uncomfortable. We could potentially remove several things that hinder the convenience of our lives. Airline security is probably one of the most annoying necessary evils in the world. Tickets to carry around, identification that you have to have with you, screenings, metal detectors, etc. Biometric devices could eventually remove so much of this process that you might not even notice it happening. You would simply have to walk through a scanner on your way to your terminal and be on your way.

A biometric society is already well under way. Fingerprint scanners are used in banks, computer log-ins, and some sophisticated facilities. In as soon as four to ten years we could start to see fingerprint recognition in restaurants and drive through areas. Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to carry a wallet? Think about how many things you have in a typical wallet: credit cards, drivers license, ID, and rewards cards from certain restaurants. If we put enough funding into these biometric devices you could carry around everything you would ever need literally on the tip of your thumb.

These biometric devices could also improve society by reducing crime. Identity theft affects approximately 14 million people each year in America alone. This can lead to headaches in financial situations and have even lead to arrests and sometimes imprisonments of innocent citizens. Identity theft would become infinitely more difficult almost instantly from the use of electronic and biometric devices. It’s a lot harder to fake a thumb print than it is to fake an identification of some kind. How far into the future are these devices and how could they potentially improve our society?