Privacy concerns again, biometric database
Some time ago I linked to a series of articles about privacy concerns written by my good buddy Karel Kubat. Really good stuff to read. As news got out new articles were added to an impressive six in total. Now there’s material to add another article. The Washington Post has a piece about the preparations of the FBI to setup a vast database of biometric data. This is meant for people from the USA as well as foreigners. In other words: all of us.
The FBI will invest one billion dollar ($1.000.000.000) to build the largest biometric database in the world. It will be hosted in a climate-controlled, secured underground facility the size of two football fields. As we speak data is already being fed into the system: 55 million sets of fingerprints, palm prints and digitial images of faces. In the future the system will be refined to contain any type of biometric data and to compare against that. In januari 2008 a ten year contract will be awarded by the FBI to significantly expand the amount and kinds of biometric data. The article also mentions the possibility for employers to request background checks on employees. Normally the results are destroyed afterwards but now employers can request a “rap-back” service. This means that the FBI will retain the data and when something is added for the employee the employer will be automatically informed. So you don’t have to call your office anymore when you are arrested during a bar brawl, your boss already knows.
All in all a very interesting read over at the Washington Post. Big Brother is here and now, you better prepare for his evil twin that is on the verge to take over.
Tags: biometric database, biometrics, FBI, privacy, security