Biomethic

Inspired by the human science and the word of bioethics. I truly believe the success of the biometric technology will be how the high-tech companies will develop and addressed the ethical issues brought about by advances in biometric and identification technologies.

I call it biomethic!

The use of biometrics is centuries old as the need for unique identification of individuals has existed throughout history. The more recent examples of its use are of Frenchman Alphonse Bertillon who developed “Anthropometrics” in 1888 and the Englishman Edward Henry who in 1900 used fingerprints for the first time to classify and identify criminals. 

However, since the tragic events of 9/11 biometric technology has been gaining popularity as the public now expects greater security. Additionally, there are some tangible benefits in the use of biometrics. For example, it is unique, convenient and fulfils the need for strong authentication. The main applications so far are governmental, e.g. ID Cards, e-passports, e-borders, air and port security and policing systems. Among the commercial enterprise the leading users are the travel industry, transport and financial services.

In recent years, the biometric technology has move into the mass-market consumer habits starting with smartphones (iPhone, Samsung). Samsung and Apple have widely contributed to make facial recognition part of our daily routine and acceptance from consumers.

Biometrics are authentication methods that can identify individuals based on physiological characteristics. On Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, and Galaxy Note9, the available biometric authentication features are fingerprint scanning, face recognition, and iris scanning. Iris scanning is a secure authentication method available on smartphones that is difficult to spoof. Additionally, fingerprint scanning and face recognition are two quick and convenient unlock methods for your phone.

Apple Face ID is among the most popular biometric facial authentication used by millions of users worldwide.

As per above extract from Apple website, Privacy is one of the main concerns.  For Apple, Privacy is a fundamental human right and even a core value. Apple products to protect privacy and give control over your information to the user. As they said: It’s not always easy. But that’s the kind of innovation we believe in.

What about the travel industry?

The aviation industry is ready to embrace a single biometric-based token for all touchpoints in the traveler journey, and deployments.

A blog post from APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) checks in on the attitudes of people in Asia to facial recognition in airports, and finds that despite some critical voices, IBM’s “Future of Identity Report” shows 78 percent of people in the APAC region are comfortable using biometric authentication today, and 94 percent are interested in using them in the future.

78% of APAC respondents said they are comfortable using biometric authentication today.

The only way to address the growing public concerns on facial recognition is through ethical, up-front communication. But ……. Not only. I choose to work for an ethical tech company whom I embrace the founders’s vision, Miguel Leitmann and Bento Correia

We create a world in which individuals chose to use their biometric identity to simplify their lives.

One of the key words is “choose”. It reflects the importance of privacy. But my question was, how to address not in terms of communication but  in terms of technology DNA, as core.

Vision-Box, the global provider of biometric-based digital identity solutions, and the world’s first developer of facial recognition-based travel experiences.

Face it and walk your way into your next destination

Vision-Box? Seamless Flow embraces a modern vision of the airport where the passenger journey is automated through contactless biometric identification systems, airport management is characterized by multi-source data stream orchestration, and data-informed collaborative decisions are made at the distance of a click.

Next time you travel, cross a border, digitally interact with your government or use your biometric data in your daily deeds, your personal data shall be managed by a Privacy by Design Certified Software.

This means your personal data (biographic and biometric) will be managed by a software platform that was designed with maximum protection and privacy and with minimized risk of leak.

Orchestra?, the innovative and user-centric Identity and Passenger Flow Management Platform from Vision-Box, is now Privacy by Design certified by the Privacy by Design Centre for Excellence at Ryerson University (CA), the world’s leading authority in Data Privacy. This certification is a premiere in the Identity Management world as well as Travel & Border Control segments, with immediate effect since 4th April 2018, as a proof that Vision-Box highly prioritizes security and privacy of citizen information.

Consulting firm Deloitte? has conducted the formal assessment and testing processes to assure that Orchestra? complies with all Privacy by Design? principles, to obtain the certification. The Ryerson University has executed the final compliance assessment and consequently granted the certification of the platform.

With this certification, Vision-Box stays ahead of EU and North America legislations that lead and govern data privacy and security, just before General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is effectively enforced in EU starting 25th of May 2018. It also attests that Orchestra? Identity Management Platform was designed according to the Privacy by Design? methodology and meets the highest standards of a globally recognized privacy standard in both hardware and software.

The Privacy by Design? framework was developed by Dr. Ann Cavoukian, distinguished expert-in-residence at Ryerson University’s Privacy by Design Center of Excellence.

The certification conveys the capability to comply, natively, with any data protection framework in the world, particularly GDPR. It also provides the most sought-after management capacity: manage personal data (biographic and biometric), in multiple stakeholder environments, with maximum protection and privacy – by minimizing the risk that personal data will leak.

“Privacy and security – through every phase of the Identity lifecycle creation and authentication process – is crucial. It’s fundamental to establish trust between the public and the entities they interact with, electronically”, says Miguel Leitmann, Vision-Box Global CEO.

“Vision-Box set out to offer the means for people to use their identity within trusted environments. Orchestra? embeds all available Best Practices and relevant certifications as a robust and trusted identity management system, from end-to-end”.

By taking a dynamic and proactive approach to earning the Privacy by Design certification for Orchestra? Platform, Vision-Box provides its customers the ability to:

>  Create greater brand confidence and trust with consumers

>  Comply to IT security best practices based on independently tested data security and control

>  Use secure data management applications in their business practices

>  Be ready for future legislative actions by governments and regulators.

Trusted identity is the cornerstone of rights protection, social inclusion and digital economic development – and the access point to a wide range of essential public and private services.

The right biometric system is the one that fits the use case and delivers the desired outcome within the societal, ethical, operational and budgetary context. 

Sources - References:

www.apple.com

www.biometricupdate.com/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228369691_Ethical_practice_in_the_use_of_biometric_identifiers_within_the_EU