Overall, we find that biometrics create an ethical dilemma between deontological duties of user privacy, humanity, and security. On one hand, the use of biometrics counters a duty towards personal privacy, because it exposes information that is personal and uniquely identifiable; information stored with biometric data can be directly tied back to its owner.
Another deontological dilemma raised by biometrics is the objectification of the human body. People have a privacy interest in biometrics above and beyond other forms of personal data because biometrics are representations of one’s body. One of Kant’s famous principles is the humanity formula: that we must treat humans as ends in themselves, never merely as means. In other words, we must respect other’s humanity. Biometrics constitute surrendering a piece of one’s body for use by another. This is objectifying the human body and is therefore a violation of Kant’s humanity principle (Alterman 145).
A final deontological consideration is the extent to which the use of biometrics can lead to social exclusion. Studies have shown that biometric technology is easier for some groups to use than others (Wickins 48). Women wearing headscarves or heavy eye makeup reported more difficulty using iris scans or facial recognition technology, as did people with asymmetrical faces or facial disfigurement (Wickins 49). In India, where government officials are in the process of implementing a mandatory biometric identification system including fingerprint scanning, an impoverished 11-year-old boy committed suicide after being denied an identification card because he had webbed fingers (TechPresident).
Despite these concerns, biometric data is touted to be one of the most secure authentication mechanisms, and is a highly accurate method for identifying criminals and illegal activity. Therefore, biometric data is congruent with a deontological duty to uphold data security. Additionally, we argue that from utilitarian perspectives, each of our four types of biometrics provides a net positive when considering the security of the population at large.
Furthermore, we find that each type of biometric poses its own set of complications with regards to accuracy, ease of fraud, freedom of speech and action, and equality.
Now, biometrics are becoming more and more common, so thinking carefully about the ethical implications of the usage of biometrics is paramount. We believe that, given deontological and utilitarian duties towards global security, biometrics are a valid approach to authentication and identification. However, we caution those who will be using such measures to be wary of the ethical concerns and practical risks that accompany each method. To learn more about the different types of biometrics and the ethical concerns and risks that they carry, click on the links in the sidebar.