Technology Impacts

The Unique Identification Authority of India expects the cost of the eye scan process for issuing unique identification to be 30-50 per cent less than fingerprint matching software.

In a status paper on iris scan issued on Wednesday, the authority the cost of the scan had been a concern.

“However, the current high prices for iris technology are a result of low volume and its use in cost insensitive security applications. Considering the large demand that will come from India for iris devices and software, the UIDAI expects the prices for devices and software to fall rapidly,” the paper said.

About the risk of vendor lock, the paper said the UID authority had evaluated the available choices among iris technology vendors and concluded that a lock-in could be avoided.

It said the authority would adopt a three-pronged approach to avoid lock-in. It said that to ensure uniqueness, the UIDAI has to minimise the false acceptance rate (FAR) in its biometrics.

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Every police force in England and Wales will be equipped with mobile fingerprint scanners to check the identity of suspects in the street.

Up to 3,000 devices, the size of a mobile phone, will enable officers on patrol to cross-reference prints with national records.

Senior officers claimed the scheme would speed up criminal inquiries, bring more people to justice and save thousands of hours of police time.

But fears have arisen the technology could contribute to the so-called “surveillance state” and encourage random searches.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-to-be-equipped-with-mobile-fingerprint-scanners-1916123.html

A surveillance state, with cameras on every street is commonplace but now Big Business is also turning to Big Brother.

Face recognition, behaviour analysing surveillance cameras, biometric profiling and the monitoring and storing of our shopping patterns has made snooping into our habits, movements and private lives ever easier.

Dismayed at its shrinking power to market to us via traditional media or even the internet, the private sector is now proposing to reach potential customers in ways that critics say should have us all concerned.

“There is an enormous pent-up demand for personalised location advertising, whether it is on your cellphone or PDA, on your radio in your car, or on the billboards you walk by on the streets and inside stores,” says Bruce Schneier, chief security technology officer of BT.

“This is yet another technological intrusion into privacy. And like all such intrusions, it will be taken as far as the owner of that intrusion finds it profitable.”

via BBC NEWS | Technology | Big Brother is watching you shop.

The Department of Homeland Security has pushed hard for the past few years to make sure it retains the right to search your laptop at the border with no real limitations. It is, indeed, (as defenders of this policy always like to point out) established law that the border is not in the country, so Constitutional 4th Amendment rights do not apply. That still doesn’t make it right. I, like many others, would not have a problem with searches due to probable cause. Nor do we have any real problem with searches of physical luggage at the border. But a blank slate, seems like a bit much — for a few reasons. First, the purpose of a border search is to see what you’re bringing into the country. But, when it comes to digital data, no one’s bringing it across the border to get it into the country. You could just send it over any number of internet protocols to get it into the country without using a laptop. So, the very rationale doesn’t make sense. Second, when people travel, they specifically pick and choose what physical goods to put into their luggage. With a computer, the situation is the opposite. You automatically bring everything (including, potentially access to remote drives). Read the rest of this entry »

THE proposed national bushfire warning system would enable authorities to track anyone’s movement in a declared disaster area by their mobile phone, opening up broad uses for the technology and raising privacy concerns.

Tender documents for the warning system to be built at the behest of all Australian governments reveal it could be used during disease epidemics, sieges, cyclones, terrorist attacks, locust plagues and heat or smog alerts.

The scope of the system has led civil liberties groups to warn of a need for tight privacy guidelines to prevent release or misuse of data on people’s movements.

The proposed model will deliver real-time, location-based warnings. It will follow the imminent first stage of the system that will deliver warnings to landlines and mobiles based on people’s billing addresses. In addition to warning people, the technology could help locate survivors in the aftermath of a fire. And it has the potential to identify looting suspects or suspected arsonists who continue lighting blazes once a bushfire has begun. Read the rest of this entry »

The former head of MI6 has hit out at ’striking and disturbing’ invasions of privacy by the Big Brother state.

Sir Richard Dearlove, who led the Secret Intelligence Service from 1999 to 2004, claimed some were an ‘abuse’ of the law.

He attacked the ‘loss of liberties’ caused by expanding surveillance powers and described some police operations as ‘mind-boggling.’

The former spy chief joins a growing number of high-profile critics warning that individual freedom and privacy are being seriously eroded by the Government’s disproportionate efforts to guard against terrorism.

Sir Richard was particularly critical of what he claimed were inadequate laws to regulate some surveillance powers. Read the rest of this entry »

AN extract of a documentary movie entitled ‘taking liberties’ on freedom showing what could happen with the introduction of ID cards

Whether you agree or not that Britain is fast turning into a surveillance society, it’s undoubtedly true that the police are turning to high tech solutions to help solve crime.

Here are just seven recent examples…

1. Mobile Data Systems

One of the frequent moans about policing from cops and politicians alike is that too much paperwork is keeping officers in their offices and not out on the beat.

The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) is aiming to reduce that by providing funding, support and guidance on handheld computing solutions. This enables officers to take notes and file crime reports digitally, while also giving them direct access to databases like the Police National Computer. Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s judgment that police surveillance of arms trade campaigners was unlawful is a welcome victory for democracy

Occasionally people joke “here comes the law” when referring to the police. But the police aren’t the law, and they are subject to the law ? just like you and I. Today a ruling by the court of appeal found the police had broken the law when they undertook a “routine surveillance” operation against Campaign Against Arms Trade in 2005 ? a period in which I was CAAT’s press officer.

The legal action arose after I and other members of staff legitimately attended Reed Elsevier’s 2005 annual general meeting. We attended as shareholders, to question the board about its acquisition of Spearhead Exhibitions which organises arms industry trade fairs.

via Let’s stay vigilant against Big Brother

James Colasanti: Waltham Forest Guardian

PUPILS walked out of classrooms in protest against Big Brother-styled CCTV cameras recording their lessons.

They were so angry with the installation of the equipment at Davenant Foundation School in Chester Road, Loughton, they refused to return until they received assurances it had been turned off.

It meant they missed three weeks of studies and led to the drafting of a petition signed by about 150 of their peers.

And when they did return to the classroom they all wore masks to continue their protest.

The school, an accredited teacher training centre, said the equipment has been installed in two classrooms to capture footage showing examples of best practice in the profession, and would not be used without pupils’ knowledge.

The issue has now been reported to UK privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (IOC), which is due to clarify the guidelines by the end of the month. Read the rest of this entry »