BITE project launches consultation on biometrics ethics
An EU funded project on the ethics of biometrics technology has launched a public consultation. By 2014, the European biometrics market is expected to reach 874 million euro. Public opinion, however, is not fully behind technologies that use the physical characteristics of individuals, such as iris pattern, DNA and fingerprints, to verify identity, according to the BITE (biometric identification technology ethics) project. Speaking to CORDIS News in May 2005, the coordinator of the BITE, Professor Emilio Mordini, referred to the variety of concerns connected with biometrics. Persons who find it more difficult to prove their identity, such as immigrants, may be unjustly targeted under a biometrics system, disabled people who are unable to under go biometrics tests may become stigmatised, and personal medical information may be obtainable. 'We need to protect weaker groups, which are expected to be the main targets of biometrics technology. Their identities are less defined and less easy to prove and they may not have papers. This cannot mean that their privacy is less protected,' said Professor Mordini. In the coming months, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) is expected to reach a judgement on the European Council's endorsement of an agreement between the European Community and the United States on the transfer of data from airline passenger records from EU airlines to the US. These data include biometric information obtained from electronic passports. BITE's public consultation aims to involve European citizens, the wider biometric community and European decision makers in a public debate on the ethics, social and political challenges associated with biometrics. The debate is intended to assist the European Commission in defining acceptable standards for the application of relevant technologies.