"A piece of yourself": Ethical issues in biometric identification [Book Review]

Ethics and Information Technology 5 (3):139-150 (2003)
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Abstract

The proliferation of biometric identification technology raises difficult issues in the matter of security, privacy and identity. Though biometric "images" are not images per se, they are both unique representations of an individual in themsevles and a means of access to other identifying information. I compare biometric imaging with other kinds of identifying representations and find that there are issues specific to biometric ID's. Because they represent information that is written into the body they are directly related to one's sense of autonomy and self-esteem. Releasing biometric ID's into the public sphere therefore involves a tangible loss of control and privacy. This does not mean that to do so is never a reasonable act, but rather that it should be carefully weighed, and should never be mandatory in order to receive any fundamental rights or benefits.

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2009-01-28

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Anton Alterman
Long Island University

Citations of this work

The ontological interpretation of informational privacy.Luciano Floridi - 2005 - Ethics and Information Technology 7 (4):185–200.
Recombinant identities: Biometrics and narrative bioethics.Btihaj Ajana - 2010 - Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 7 (2):237-258.
Race, again: how face recognition technology reinforces racial discrimination.Fabio Bacchini & Ludovica Lorusso - 2019 - Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society 17 (3):321-335.
A roadmap for research on identity in the information society.Ruth Halperin & James Backhouse - 2008 - Identity in the Information Society 1 (1):71-87.

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References found in this work

The right to privacy.Judith Jarvis Thomson - 1975 - Philosophy and Public Affairs 4 (4):295-314.
Thomson on privacy.Thomas Scanlon - 1975 - Philosophy and Public Affairs 4 (4):315-322.
Intangible Property: Privacy, Power, and Information Control.Adam D. Moore - 1998 - American Philosophical Quarterly 35 (4):365 - 378.

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