Title: An investigation into the technical, legal and ethical issues associated with biometrics in the UK (application to biometrics module for computing programmes)

Authors: Lynne Norris-Jones, Steve Marsh

Addresses: Department of Information Systems, Cardiff School of Management, University of Wales Institute, Colchester Avenue Campus, Cardiff, CF23 9XR UK. ' Department of Information Systems, Cardiff School of Management, University of Wales Institute, Colchester Avenue Campus, Cardiff, CF23 9XR UK

Abstract: This paper aims to investigate emerging biometric technology and major social implications through the development of an undergraduate computing programme. The investigation involves a series of scenarios considering face, voice and hand recognition systems and their social, legal and ethical implications. Two cases were presented to two student groups triangulated with a focus group to gain a more complex understanding of individual perceptions. The practical implementation was limited to fingerprint and facial recognition technologies used in commercial systems, for example, for access control. The investigation concluded that initially fingerprint recognition should be studied using small-scale technology implementation via the use of scanners for connection to a PC via a USB cable, allowing performance metrics to be established for accuracy and reliability, false acceptance and false rejection rates. The results of this can be compared with those of commercial systems. Facial recognition will use digital cameras and image capture software.

Keywords: algorithms; authentication; biometric applications; biometrics; emerging technologies; fingerprint recognition; facial recognition; voice recognition; hand recognition; identification; iris scanning; retinal scanning; legal implications; ethical implications; performance metrics; recognition software; social implications; law; ethics; United Kingdom; digital forensics; electronic security; undergraduate computing; computing education; UK higher education; digital cameras; image capture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESDF.2009.024904

International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics, 2009 Vol.2 No.2, pp.206 - 218

Published online: 03 May 2009 *

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