Biometric Paranoia

I feel a little bit anxious about the fact that the registration of voters for the 2010 election will now be done using biometrics. Of course, we are all aware of the benefits that would result from the use of this sophisticated type of registration for purposes of voter identification. For one thing, people say that we can bid adieu the flying-voter-phenomenon that has plagued our electoral system since ages. But I can't help but feel apprehensive about the fact something will go awry with the use of biometrics for this upcoming elections. All of us, I suppose, feels a certain degree of discomfort when we share information about certain physical and immutable for purposes of identification. Especially when the information that we are going to disclose may be "sniffed" and stolen by some lunatic who decides to steal your identity. An excerpt from http://blog.onghome.com/2003/11/discussion-on-biometrics.htm

So, my main concern with using biometrics at door entrances and immigration checkpoints involve not the correctness of authentication [i.e. biometric source], but the security and legal problems that would result if the database is ever compromised either by (1) injection of false information, or, (2) theft of the data.The 2nd case is the most scary for national databases. If the perpetrator gets the data, and a process is engineered to convert the digital back to the physical, the perpetrator can make anyone appear to have been at any place. Think about the legal implications! "Your honor, I know my fingerprint was on the gun, but my company's [or state's, or country's] biometric database was stolen a year ago!"

Welcome to your worst nightmare.

Judith Ann C. Alejo
2001-01820