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Biometrics in the Digital Realm
By Don Sussis
November 27, 2001

A Harris Interactive Poll of 1,012 adults surveyed by telephone the week following the attack (Sept. 19 - 24, 2001) showed that 86 percent were in favor of the facial recognition technology - something the American Civil Liberties Union contends is an invasion of privacy. Other privacy advocates warn that the government's moves to increase security signal the arrival of Big Brother. However, such concerns by privacy advocates will have to be considered along with the concerns and safety of the American public. And it just may be that biometric technologies can improve control over our personal and corporate electronic documents. The following are results from the Harris interactive poll:

Favor Oppose Not Sure/
Declined to Answer

Use of facial recognition technology to scan for suspected terrorists at various locations and public events. 86% 11% 2%

Closer monitoring of banking and credit-card transactions to trace funding sources. 81% 17% 2%

Adoption of a national ID system for all U.S. citizens. 68% 28% 4%

Expanded camera surveillance on streets and public places. 63% 35% 2%

Law-enforcement monitoring of Internet discussions in chat rooms and other forums. 63% 32% 5%

Expanded government monitoring of cell phones and e-mail to intercept messages. 54% 41% 4%

Source: Harris Interactive/Business Week

It remains to be seen if this attitude prevails over time. The need to grieve after the terrorist attacks resulted in swelled attendance throughout the nation's churches, synagogues, and mosques from mid September until mid November. But a return to normal levels of participation has been evidenced since then. So, too may be the call for heightening security taper off with time, especially when it conflicts with ideas about privacy and personal freedom. So far, this has not been the case.
In fact, with Homeland Defense Chief Tom Ridge and Attorney General John Ashcroft calling for billions of dollars in new spending to bolster security, business will undoubtedly get on the bandwagon. Mr. Ridge said on November 21 in Washington that he hoped "... entrepreneurship, creativity, ingenuity and technology would ... lead to innovations." For example, he said that "biometric cards that can read fingerprints and scan eyes could be used in visas to allow the government to make sure the same person who applied to come to the United States was the same one to arrive-and that they also could allow the government to learn whether the person left when their visa had expired."
At this moment new tech spending priorities are less about boosting productivity and more about fortifying defenses. Security has been the only sector in tech that now seems immune from cutbacks and positioned for growth during this recession.

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