Do biometrics protect or compromise our privacy? | All Hail The Algorithm

Summary

This video delves into the pervasive yet controversial world of biometric technology, exploring its use in identification, security, and surveillance. It scrutinizes the convenience and accuracy of biometrics, such as facial recognition and fingerprint scanning, against the backdrop of privacy concerns and ethical implications. The script highlights the UN's initiative to provide legal identities by 2030, often leveraging biometrics, and raises questions about consent, data security, and the potential for misuse. It also examines the role of biometrics in schools, law enforcement, and private sectors, urging a broader societal debate on the balance between technological advancement and individual rights.

Takeaways

• 🔐 Biometric technologies like facial recognition and fingerprint scanning are increasingly used for identification, offering high accuracy and security.
• 👤 The convenience of biometrics comes with significant privacy concerns, as they capture unique, personal data that can be exploited.
• 🌐 The United Nations aims to provide a legal identity for everyone by 2030, focusing on populations like refugees who lack identification.
• 👁️‍🗨️ Biometric systems like iris scans are used by the World Food Program to aid refugees, streamlining aid distribution and ensuring accountability.
• 🚫 The use of biometrics in low-rights environments raises ethical questions about consent and the potential for misuse of personal data.
• 🏢 Private companies are also adopting biometric technologies, raising concerns about data security, transparency, and the lack of regulation.
• 👮‍♂️ Facial recognition is used by law enforcement for surveillance, but its inaccuracy and potential for racial bias are significant issues.
• 🏫 Schools in the UK have been using biometrics on children for years, raising concerns about consent, data security, and normalization of surveillance.
• 📈 The rapid development of biometric technology outpaces the creation of regulations, leading to potential risks and ethical dilemmas.
• 🌐 The global push for biometric identification could lead to a society where personal data is closely monitored, impacting notions of privacy and freedom.

Q & A

What is biometrics and how is it revolutionizing identification?

Biometrics refers to unique algorithmic measurements of human characteristics such as face, voice, and fingerprints. It is revolutionizing identification by providing high levels of accuracy and strong security, making it a gold standard for authentication.

What are some of the biometric technologies mentioned in the script?

The script mentions facial recognition technology, voice biometrics, gait analysis, behavioral biometrics, and iris scans as some of the technologies used for biometric identification.

Why is the United Nations aiming to provide a legal identity for everyone by 2030?

The United Nations aims to provide a legal identity for everyone by 2030 as part of its sustainable development goals. This is to ensure that the over 1 billion people who currently have no way to prove their identity, including refugees, trafficked children, and homeless individuals, can establish documents and create a digital footprint essential for modern life.

How does the World Food Program use biometric technology to aid Syrian refugees?

The World Food Program uses iris scans to provide aid to Syrian refugees. Refugees can shop for groceries with the blink of an eye, without needing bank cards or registration papers. The system verifies the person's identity against a biometric database and processes the transaction securely and quickly.

What are the concerns raised about the use of biometric data in the script?

The script raises concerns about privacy, consent, the potential for misuse of data, the accuracy of biometric technology, and the lack of legal and regulatory oversight. It also discusses the ethical implications of using biometric data on vulnerable populations who may not have the ability to understand or consent to its use.

Why did Oxfam impose a moratorium on the use of biometrics in 2015?

Oxfam imposed a moratorium on the use of biometrics in 2015 due to concerns about the effectiveness, governance models, and risks associated with handling such sensitive data. They felt it was best not to become an early adopter given the many unknowns and potential for misuse.

How is facial recognition technology being used in public spaces in the UK?

In the UK, facial recognition technology is being trialed in public spaces such as shopping centers, football matches, protests, music events, and crowded city spots. The technology scans people's faces and compares them to databases of wanted offenders or suspects.

What are the inaccuracies and biases associated with facial recognition technology as discussed in the script?

The script discusses that facial recognition technology can be inaccurate, with 96% of matches by the Met police being misidentifications. It also mentions that the algorithms often misidentify individuals with darker skin tones and women, due to biases in the data used to train the algorithms.

How are biometric technologies being used in schools in the UK?

In the UK, biometric technologies such as fingerprints, iris scans, and infrared palm scanning are used in schools to speed up access to canteens, libraries, registrations, payments, and lockers. The use of these technologies is seen as a way to enhance security, but there are concerns about data privacy, consent, and the normalization of surveillance.

What is the potential risk of biometric data being used by private companies as highlighted in the script?

The script highlights the risk of biometric data being used by private companies without transparent systems, accountability, or enforceable regulations. This could lead to misuse of personal data, lack of control over how the data is stored and shared, and potential privacy violations.

Outlines

00:00

🔐 The Power and Pitfalls of Biometrics

This paragraph introduces the concept of biometrics, highlighting how facial recognition, voice authentication, and fingerprints are becoming standard methods for identification due to their accuracy and security. However, it also raises concerns about the implications for privacy and the potential risks associated with relying too heavily on these technologies. The discussion emphasizes that while biometrics offer convenience, they also come with significant challenges, particularly regarding the protection of personal data.

05:02

🤔 Ethical Concerns and the 'Nudge' Dilemma

This section explores the ethical concerns surrounding the use of biometric technology, particularly in vulnerable populations like refugees. It questions whether people in these situations fully understand or consent to the use of their biometric data and whether they have any real alternatives. The discussion also touches on the concept of 'nudge theory,' where people might be subtly coerced into handing over their data by making it the easiest option, raising issues about the ethics of such practices.

10:04

📊 Biometrics in Security: Benefits vs. Biases

This paragraph delves into the use of biometric technology in security and surveillance, particularly focusing on facial recognition. While highlighting the widespread adoption of this technology in countries like China, the U.S., and the UK, it also points out significant issues with accuracy, particularly the higher rate of misidentifications among darker-skinned individuals and women. The narrative discusses how these inaccuracies can lead to wrongful arrests and increased surveillance, particularly for already marginalized groups.

15:06

🏫 Biometrics in Schools: Normalization and Risks

This final section discusses the use of biometric technology in schools, where children have been using such systems for over two decades. It raises concerns about the normalization of surveillance from a young age and the potential risks associated with storing and managing children's biometric data. The paragraph also questions the robustness of these systems, the security of the data, and whether the necessary checks and standards are being adhered to. The broader implications of desensitizing a generation to surveillance and the potential future consequences are also considered.

Keywords

💡Biometrics

Biometrics refers to the unique physical and behavioral characteristics of individuals, such as fingerprints, facial features, and voice patterns, which can be used for identification and authentication. In the video, biometrics are highlighted as a revolutionary method for personal identification, with applications ranging from unlocking phones to accessing bank accounts. The video discusses the convenience and accuracy of biometrics but also raises concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of this sensitive personal data.

💡Facial Recognition Technology

Facial recognition technology is a type of biometric software that identifies or verifies a person from a video frame or digital image. The video mentions how this technology is being used to record faces for identification purposes, raising questions about consent and privacy. It is also noted that facial recognition is being used in security and surveillance, with both positive uses, such as preventing crime, and negative implications, such as potential misuse by authorities.

💡Privacy

Privacy in the context of the video refers to the right of individuals to keep their personal information and identity secure and not disclosed without consent. The video discusses how the widespread use of biometrics, while convenient, poses significant privacy risks, as it involves the collection and storage of highly sensitive personal data that, if compromised, could have severe consequences for individuals.

💡UN Sustainable Development Goals

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations. The video references the goal of providing a legal identity for everyone by 2030, which involves the use of biometric technology to identify and register individuals, particularly those who are marginalized or displaced, such as refugees. This initiative aims to include the over 1 billion people who currently lack official identification.

💡Iris Scans

Iris scans are a form of biometric identification that uses patterns in the iris of the eye to uniquely identify an individual. The video gives an example of how the United Nations World Food Program uses iris scans to provide aid to Syrian refugees, allowing them to shop for groceries without the need for bank cards or registration papers. This showcases the practical application of biometrics in humanitarian efforts.

💡Gait Analysis

Gait analysis is the study of human walking patterns and can be used as a biometric identifier. The video mentions gait analysis as one of the ways biometrics can identify individuals by how they walk. This is an example of how biometric data can be collected and analyzed beyond traditional methods like fingerprints or facial recognition.

💡Behavioral Biometrics

Behavioral biometrics refers to the use of an individual's behavior patterns for identification, such as how they type, move, or interact with devices. The video discusses how behavioral biometrics can be used to identify people based on their online behavior, such as how they use their mouse or the frequency of their social media posts. This type of biometric data collection raises questions about the extent to which our everyday actions can be tracked and analyzed.

💡Data Privacy and Security

Data privacy and security are critical aspects of handling biometric data, as it involves personal and sensitive information. The video emphasizes the importance of ensuring that biometric data is encrypted and protected from unauthorized access. It also highlights the need for regular assessments to tackle potential threats and the importance of having legal frameworks in place to regulate the use of biometric data.

💡Facial Recognition Systems

Facial recognition systems are used by law enforcement and security agencies to identify individuals from digital images or video frames. The video discusses the use of these systems in China and the United States, noting the potential for misuse and the lack of legal oversight. It also points out the inaccuracies in these systems, particularly in identifying people with darker skin tones and women, which raises concerns about the fairness and reliability of the technology.

💡Smart Cities

Smart cities are urban areas that use technology and data to improve services, infrastructure, and the quality of life for residents. The video touches on the concept of smart cities as a context where biometric technology and surveillance are becoming normalized. It raises concerns about the potential for increased surveillance and the erosion of privacy in the name of convenience and efficiency.

💡Biometrics in Schools

The use of biometrics in schools is highlighted in the video as a concerning trend where children's biometric data is collected for purposes such as accessing school canteens or libraries. The video raises questions about the consent of children and parents, the security of the data collected, and the long-term implications of normalizing surveillance in educational settings.

Highlights

Biometrics like face, voice, and fingerprints are revolutionizing identification processes.

Biometrics offer high accuracy and strong security for identification, used by law enforcement for decades.

Facial recognition technology records facial points for identification purposes.

Gait analysis and behavioral biometrics are used to identify individuals based on their walk and online behavior.

The UN aims to provide a legal identity for everyone by 2030, focusing on populations without identification.

Biometric technology, like iris scans, is used by the UN World Food Program to aid Syrian refugees.

The 'I pay' system allows refugees to shop with an iris scan, enhancing transaction speed and security.

Biometric data collection raises concerns about consent and privacy, especially in low-rights environments.

The UNHCR is expanding its biometrics registration program, aiming to be active in 75 countries by 2020.

Facial recognition is used by the UK police for surveillance, raising concerns about accuracy and racial bias.

Facial recognition technology's inaccuracies can lead to wrongful arrests and increased surveillance.

The lack of legislation governing facial recognition technology in the UK is a significant concern.

Biometrics are increasingly used by private companies, raising questions about data access and security.

Schools in the UK have been recording children's biometrics for 20 years, raising concerns about consent and data security.

The normalization of surveillance technology in schools could have long-term implications for privacy.

Biometric technology's rapid development outpaces regulation creation, leading to potential ethical concerns.

The ethical implications of reducing human identity to data through biometrics need to be discussed and addressed.

Transcripts

I can unlock my phone with my face you

can access your bank account with your

voice and fingerprints are often the key

information on a national ID card all of

this face voice fingerprints there are

biometrics unique algorithmic

measurements of us that are

revolutionising the process of

identification but biometrics are far

from perfect their convenience and

seeming infallibility comes at across

most crucially our privacy our

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biometrics are individual unique so much

so that they've always served as a gold

standard for identification with really

high levels of accuracy and strong

security fingerprints and DNA databases

have been the mainstay for police and

investigators for decades and across

many parts of the world people who are

illiterate use thumb prints in place of

written signatures Stephanie here has

been researching the growing use of

biometrics there's also your face now

which is being recorded so that's just

your facial point that's called facial

recognition technology

your voice is biometric data there's

also something called gait analysis

which is how you walk so those are ways

that they could identify you and another

way is behavioral biometrics that might

be your online behavior so how you use

your mouth where you click on things as

you go through the internet but even how

regularly you're posting on Facebook

there's a lot that you can can get just

from people's ordinary lives and that's

why it's so important to have this

debated in societies and we all are

giving our consent about whether or not

we want such technology being used

and if so under what circumstances and

with what regulatory checks the world is

on a mission a mission to give everybody

a legal identity by 2030 that was a

target set by the United Nations as part

of its sustainable development goals

campaign the key segments of the

population that the UN is focusing on is

the more than 1 billion people who

currently have no way to prove their

identity

the unverified include millions of

refugees traffic children homeless and

other people who never get a chance to

establish documents and create a digital

footprint that's so essential for modern

life here at sutter II can the United

Nations World Food Program is using

biometric technology iris scans to

provide aid to the camp's 75,000 Syrian

residents refugees can shop for their

groceries with the blink of an eye no

need for bank card or registration

papers the system is quite aptly named I

pay when a shopper has their iris

scanned the World Food Programme system

verifies the person's identity against a

biometric database held by the UN High

Commissioner for Refugees the UNHCR then

it checks the account balance confirms

the purchase and prints and I pay

receipt all of this happens in seconds

and according to the World Food Program

this not only makes transactions quicker

but more secure here in Jordan we'll use

biometrics authentication for two main

reasons

one to guarantee 100% accountability on

the identity of the person purchasing

and using the assistance that we provide

and secondly to facilitate the

redemption process of the beneficiaries

by not using a car by not using a pin in

camps which is an environment where

beneficiary tend to go to the

supermarket multiple times during the

month for them going with their own iris

it's easier than going with

quarantine the Alafaya the Berber nah

contain an entire michaleen OGE idea you

cannot move can you offer them for your

of the customer I see references

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re-watching the iris enabled shopping

process is both fascinating and a bit

unnerving this is a super high-tech

system that's been rolled out in what

you could call a low rights environment

sure people here are under the

protection of the United Nations and

have more rights than they would have in

the war zones of the countries they fled

from such as Syria however they also

have a little choice when it comes to

giving up their biometrics erupting out

of biometrics programs taking somebody's

biometric data from them is about the

most personal data that you could take

these are not people who necessarily are

in a position to ask for legal

representation to have this explain to

them second if they don't want it what

is the alternative that they can

exercise instead are they using

behavioral psychology something called

nudge theory to make it where it's just

easier to hand over your data and then

you get your food and your clothes and

your money faster

because that would be unethical we're

testing out again extremely experimental

really invasive technology on people who

literally have some of the least rights

and protections of anyone what a

middle-class person living in France or

Germany or the United States the United

Kingdom or Sweden consents to

to use their iris to pay for things or

to transact probably not it's easy to

see the immense potential of the IPA

system to track aid disbursement smooth

out payments and reduce the chances of

corruption or fraud the World Food

Program says the benefits go even

further they are able to monitor

shopping habits and nutritional intake

and there's a possibility in the future

that the credit histories of the

refugees could help them open bank

accounts or get loans they also think

they've got the security bit covered

so the Rafi regulates the management of

data of refugees through a data sharing

agreement with UNHCR so through that

agreement we are able to access the data

sensitive data which again does not

include name just the case ID phone

number and location so we are confident

that the data being encrypted is well

protected reason why we are doing

regularly data privacy and in fact

assessment on the project to guarantee

that if there are new threat in the

world we are able to tackle them and an

address them properly before they come

to us

UNHCR remain fully committed to their

biometrics registration program so much

so that they are rapidly expanding it

with the aim of being active in 75

countries by 2020 there remains lots of

problematic questions though that are

yet to be fully answered such as is the

tech foolproof who has access and how

can anyone plan for the unforeseen

issues to come these are the kinds of

questions that have made other aid

organizations pause before jumping

onboard with biometric technology in

2015 Oxfam voluntarily imposed a

moratorium on its use of biometrics in

its work it stated given the number of

unknowns around most effective operation

and governance models and risks of this

incredibly sensitive data falling into

the wrong hands we felt it was best not

to become an early adopter

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one field in which biometrics has long

being used is security and surveillance

and facial recognition is one of the

most popular technologies right now in

China there's been an exponential

increase in the use of facial tracking

and artificial intelligence to monitor

citizens the United States also

currently operates one of the largest

facial recognition systems in the world

with a database of a hundred and

seventeen million Americans with photos

typically drawn from driver's licenses

and in the UK police forces have been

trialing live facial recognition since

2016 at public spaces such as shopping

centers football matches protests music

events and crowded city spots so this

green band that's behind me here in

central London is part of a facial

recognition technology trial that's

being run by the Metropolitan Police and

what it's doing is it's basically

scanning people's faces when they walk

past and then comparing that to a

database that has wanted offenders or

suspects on them the Met Police say

facial recognition could enable them to

more easily protect people prevent

offences and bring offenders to justice

however privacy groups such as Big

Brother Watch say the technology is

authoritarian and lawless the group's

legal and policy officer refers even

goes so far as to say that facial

recognition is possibly the most

dangerous surveillance mechanism that's

ever been invented this facial

recognition technology can capture up to

300 faces a second which could be around

18,000 faces in a minute that's a vast

vast number of people whom the police

can identify check against police

databases whether that's police or

immigration so what we're seeing is

police idaite being able to identify

people in in seconds that puts so much

power in the hands of the state and the

police which i think is fundamentally

wrong it's not democratically

accountable because there's no legal

basis for this so this is an intense

intrusive and authoritarian surveillance

technology while advocates for facial

recognition would debate some of grifs

assertions one thing is undeniable

the technology currently being used by

the UK police is dangerously inaccurate

latest figures show that 96% of the Met

police's so-called matches were

misidentifications and there's research

showing that many facial recognition

algorithms will disproportionately

misidentified darker skin tones and

women the causes are numerous and they

vary ranging from poor quality CCTV

images to the fact that the algorithms

are often trained too so to speak using

faces that are mostly white and male

this technology looks like a really nice

quick fix to the fact that we have not

got as much money to pay for human

intelligence operations so it sounds

great in theory the problem is it

doesn't work very well on people who are

not white men which is quite a lot of

the population on the planet being

arrested wrongfully means that you get

put into predictive policing algorithms

so the more often you're having contact

with law enforcement the more you are at

risk of being stopped again even

erroneously

and also people in your network because

they build the network out it's never

just about you

proponents of facial recognition in the

UK will argue that issues with accuracy

can be fixed they aren't wrong

technology can always be improved on

what's a bigger concern is that

currently there are no laws governing

the use of facial technology in the

country whether it's the state using it

or even private companies I think what's

really troubling at the moment is the

technology is being rolled out without

legislation and empowered regulators

this is not technology that has a very

good track record of being accountable

so I can find out a who is using it

under what circumstances what's what's

done with the data where is it stored

what's the track record of cybersecurity

on keeping that data protected all of

the things we have no idea it's just

being ruled out when people feel that

they're being observed all the time that

has a really chilling effect so things

like your right to protest your right to

go to a job interview to hang out with

some friends to go to church these are

things that perhaps the state doesn't

have a right to keep an eye on the MIT

police

offended the trials saying their quote

overt and that members of the public are

informed through posters and leaflets

but at the trial I was at overt wouldn't

be the word I'd use there were literally

hundreds of people rushing through the

space and the chances of seeing the tiny

signs reading the leaflets or even

understanding what the unmarked van was

being used for were minimal I stopped a

few people to see what they thought of

the trial it's another level of invasion

of privacy yeah but then we live in that

world in my opinion I think it's a good

thing to have facial recognition because

like as long as you're not doing

anything bad and it also helps the

police track people down to be honest

the way technology is going at the

moment this will be the norm all around

the world so I think we just need to get

used to it if you've done nothing wrong

there's no issue take a look around you

in the world

this technology is already being used by

certain countries all you have to do is

pick up a newspaper and see people who

are being incarcerated in concentration

camps in China right now biometrics data

is part of that that's how they're

monitoring those people and tracking

them and anyone who comes into contact

with them right so there's your proof of

concept of what could be done now it's

really easy to go that would never

happen here but your government can

always change right so history is full

of examples that even in liberal

democracies in times of war the times of

economic difficulty people get voted

into power who change so you have to

think about how a system is being built

and what it could be used for years down

the road when there's a very different

political flavor the UK collects

biometrics from another key segment of

the population

one that many wouldn't have even

considered children fewer aware that

schools have been recording the

biometrics of children for the past 20

years

it is estimated that since 1999

approximately seventy to eighty percent

of children in the UK have interacted

with some sort of biometric device in

school Pippa King is a parent campaigner

for children's rights and creator of the

biometrics in school blog

I think companies are putting the tech

into a school setting because you've got

a compliant population school children

won't ask or question if they're being

surveilled a little bit more than

general population simply cuz they don't

know any better the concern that I have

with biometrics in schools is that sort

of way back in 1999 and throughout the

whole of that next decade into 2000 is

that we as an adult population weren't

using biometrics at all not even on

phones and suddenly we had children as

young as three and four using their

fingerprint to get in and out of school

systems the growth of affordable

biometric technology means that

fingerprints iris scans facial

recognition and infrared palm scanning

have been used to speed up access to

canteens libraries registrations

payments and lockers a big selling point

of course has been security biometric

enabled access is seen as a foolproof

way of keeping school buildings safer

however a big concern is how robust

these systems are who has access to the

biometric data is there a process for

deletion and what happens if the system

is compromised I also sent the

department education a few years ago

Freedom of Information request about had

they check the software have they

checked encryption standards is it

adhering to sort of international

standards at the hardware is it secure

nobody could answer no no we've never

checked the system know we don't know if

they do do international standards it

just seems to have been gone under the

carpet and nobody's aware of you know

what's in schools what's being sold to

schools who has access to it and whether

or not there's been any biometric data

breaches for entire generations of

British schoolchildren questions of

consent around their biometrics have

been bypassed to a great extent it was

only in 2012 that a law was enacted

putting in place processes for consent

to be given or withheld the overall

effect of biometrics in schools however

is that the sharing and use of very

personal data and the implications of

surveillance

being normalized the testbed for smart

cities isn't necessarily the tag because

we've got the tech already to acceptance

of it and if you go into schools and you

desensitize and normalize the

surveillance technology the Smart City

is there already you know participants

are objecting to it so I think there's a

good argument sort of for all whole to

be a little bit wary of the word smart

and especially when it's sort of with

smart cities or smart motorways because

it is just essentially a surveillance it

would be one thing if extensive

biometric systems were being just used

by governments or state-funded

organizations like the UN it wouldn't

make the lack of accountability or

inaccuracy or outdated security

protocols any easier to live with but at

least across many countries governments

can be questioned and pressured to give

answers of some form the reality however

is that biometrics are increasingly

being used by private companies shopping

malls recruitment agencies online DNA

and ancestry services and even private

security companies all of them are

taking and using our biometrics and

finding out how the technology is being

used what data has been stored and with

whom it's being shared not just today

but also in the future involves a lot of

probing because these aren't transparent

systems biometric technology is being

developed and used much faster than any

regulations are being created and in

many senses it feels as though we're

sitting on a ticking time we don't even

have an established field of ethics for

technology there's voluntary codes by

companies these are not legally

enforceable you as a citizen or a

consumer cannot use these to protect you

in any way so derive no comfort from

that so I think we're entering a really

interesting space in terms of what it

means to be human because as we become a

more quantified world there's going to

be such a temptation to take all data

about you and reduce you to zeros and

ones that is what is coming and whether

or not you want that to happen

has to be something that's discussed yet

we're willing this technology out and

saying that this is going to change the

way that we work and live within the

next 5 10 20 years to me that's really

worrying we need to elevate ethics for

technology right to the top of the

agenda thanks for watching part four of

this five part series if you're

interested in watching any of the other

episodes we cover a diverse range of

topics ranging from the use of

algorithms in Social Security in welfare

in Australia to online manipulation in

Mexico and even the concept of data

colonization so I hope you check them

out as well if you want to see them you

can use the hashtag all hail the

algorithm on Twitter

or you can go to the website

aljazeera.com forward slash all hail the

algorithm

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