Buometric ID system in Europ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Buometric ID system in Europ - Essay Example (Jain, 2004) The privacy issues related to biometrics are primarily concerned with the civil rights of individuals and the way that the security apparatus of government uses biometric information in law enforcement. The issues of individual privacy vs. the legitimate technological use of biometric information will be discussed in this essay in order to analyze the EU policy that would implement biometric information as a basic part of passports and identity cards. Where the social utility of biometric data is furthered by the expansion of technological developments, the civil rights issues of their use must be clearly determined by a review of institutional practice in order for a fair and sustainable policy to be developed. This essay will review the current efforts to implement biometric identification on a universal basis in the EU in the context of human rights and civil liberties to determine if the current application of policy is threatening to the privacy concerns of individu als. The current proposal for biometric use in the EU includes the complete integration of the technology with existing passport controls and personal identification cards in society. (Heath, 2006) This system will be used in the management of immigration, travel, and related security services in the EU. (Jain, 2004) What the debate over biometrics in this context suggests is that the implementation for security is the main concern, with the risk of terrorism in airports and train stations a major risk to public safety. However, the security use may also â€Å"demonize† this technology by painting it in a negative light socially, whereas the technology itself may be given a wider and more beneficial use in easing transactions and identity verification for other purposes. The biometric technology is a product of human invention and its use is contingent on the motivations of the architects of the system. Rather than being inherently invasive or a threat to civil