April 2007 — News
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Biometrics in K-12: Issues and Standardization
When it comes to ensuring privacy, the Supreme Court made a cautionary statement following its decision in the 1977 case, Whalen v. Roe (429 U.S. 589), indicating its awareness of the implied threat of accumulating extensive personal data in computerized data banks (Freeman, 2003). Steven McDonald, general counsel at the Rhode Island School of Design (Kiernan, 2005) indicated, "Records of a student's biometric measurements, as well as records of where and when that student used a biometric device, probably would be protected from public disclosure under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act." However, those records "might be vulnerable to subpoena by law-enforcement officials" (sec: Privacy).
Freeman (2003) indicated courts have not devised a strict test about when and if biometric evidence would be admissible in trials. The 1993 case of Merrill v. Dow Pharmaceuticals (509 U.S. 579) did produce five conditions that should be met before evidence would be admissible as scientific, which might set guidelines for using biometric data as evidence. These include "Whether the theory or technique has been or can be tested; The theory or technique has been subjected to peer review or publication; The existence and maintenance of standards controlling use of the technique; General acceptance of the technique in the scientific community; A known potential rate of error" (p. 7). That "rate of error" does strike me as a significant factor.
Craig Kaucher of National Defense University (Biometrics 101, n.d.) discussed cultural and social issues surrounding the use of biometrics. Some might be physiologically unable to use one or more techniques, such as if limbs are missing. Some individuals have health concerns about long-term physical effects from repeated use of the technology, such as retinal scanning. Depending on your community, there might be religious and cultural concerns that must be considered when implementing any system, such as accommodations for those that prohibit or look unfavorably on photographing individuals. The capture process might be slowed down by the inability of some to understand and follow directions, or if psychological conditions prevent correct operation.
You might hear parents voice a concern about the germs on devices requiring physical contact that might pose a health risk, such as an infectious disease. Think of elementary schools, in particular, that encourage children to have clean hands before eating, and then expose those very same children to germs from multiple users on fingerprint readers or hand readers immediately thereafter. But then, one might make the same argument about germs on door handles. Those biometric readers can be cleaned frequently.
More on Standardization
According to Abernathy and Tien (n.d.), the government in connection with law enforcement uses Automated Fingerprint ID Systems (AFIS) heavily, "but there is at present little standardization within the AFIS industry. If law enforcement and private industry were to unify their fingerprint databases under one common standard, such as under a national ID system, this would potentially put one's entire life history in interoperating databases that are only a fingerprint away" (sec: Linking). Given sufficient time, resources, and research, it is conceivable. A great deal of cooperation in the scientific and business community and attitude adjustment regarding "Big Brother" among citizens of the world would be needed to make it happen.
