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              | Date: 2001-11-26 
 
 Biometrics a gogo-.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.-
 
 Flughaefen, Banken, Casinos, Sozialministerien,
 Vergnuegungsparks. Immer mehr Betriebe in Europa und Uebersee
 setzen auf den Einsatz von Biometrietechnologie und koennen in
 Zeiten internationaler Krisen auf verbreitete Unterstuetzung der
 Bevoelkerung zaehlen.
 
 Hat da nicht jemand hierzulande vor kurzem nach Fingerprints fuer
 alle geschrien ?
 
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 Biometrics and the new security age
 
 By Ursula Owre Masterson MSNBC NEW YORK, -- The next time
 you fly through Boston, your eyes, nose and mouth may be
 scrutinized -- digitally cross-checked with the eyes, noses and
 mouths of suspected terrorists. Starting this month, Logan
 International Airport will try out two facial recognition systems
 designed to boost security after two hijacked planes originating at
 the airport changed the course of history.
 
 EVEN BEFORE September's terrorist attacks put the nation on
 edge, a controversial new security and surveillance technology
 known as biometrics was emerging.
 
 [...]
 
 Examples of the technology's early applications abound: *
 London's Heathrow airport has started directing selected
 international passengers to bypass immigration agents and instead
 look into a machine that captures the unique pattern of the iris,
 translates it into 512 bytes of binary data called an iris code and
 matches it to the passengers' frequent flier numbers. * At Disney
 World in Florida, annual pass holders breeze through the gates of
 the Magic Kingdom by placing their hand on a scanner. * In
 Connecticut, the Department of Social Services stores the digital
 fingerprints of welfare recipients to combat "double dipping" fraud. *
 Casinos across the country routinely use facial recognition
 technology to snoop out known cheaters. * A growing number of
 banks, including Texas-based Bank United, the Bank of America
 and Wells Fargo, are using biometric technology to improve the
 security of online banking and replace PINs and bank cards at
 ATMs.
 
 TRADE-OFFS In the pre-9/11 world, a mere reference to biometrics
 raised the hackles of privacy advocates, who said the word was
 synonymous with "Big Brother." Recently, however, such criticism
 has been muted considerably as many Americans appear willing to
 trade some privacy for more security. Despite the enormous costs
 of widespread implementation and lingering disputes about the
 technology's accuracy, Americans seem ready to give certain
 biometrics a try.
 
 
 PLEA FOR FEDERAL HELP Sept. 11 prompted commissioners
 from 20 U.S. airports that together handle 166.5 million passengers
 annually to meet and ask Congress for up to $4 billion in annual
 reimbursement funding to offset the costs of bolstering security --
 including installing biometric scanners in some airports. "We now
 perceive aviation security as national security, " said Stephen Van
 Beek of Airports Council International. Currently, only a handful of
 airports around the globe rely on biometric ID systems, including
 Iceland's Keflavik Airport and Toronto's Pearson Airport. But the
 race is on to install more. In addition to Logan's tryout this month,
 officials at San Francisco International, Oakland International and
 Fresno airports have committed to installing some form of biometric
 security devices.
 
 [...]
 
 Volltext: http://www.msnbc.com/news/654788.asp
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 edited by Harkank
 published on: 2001-11-26
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