An HS Daily Wire conversation with Walter Hamilton of the International Biometrics Industry Association (IBIA)

it’s not Big Brother you need to be afraid of. It’s the credit bureaus and the banks, the credit card companies and the telephone company. They monitor your every movement. They know every time you use an ATM. They know every time you turn your cell phone on and even where you are at the time. They know how fast you drive from one E-Z-Pass toll booth to the next one. They know everything. Big Brother doesn’t know much about your everyday activities.

I think a charge that needs to be turned completely on its head is that biometrics constitute a threat to personal privacy. They are in fact the hope of people who want to take their personally identifiable information - credit card numbers and Social Security numbers and other data that really could put the individual at risk of identity theft - and store it in a place under the protection of a biometric lock. Biometrics can become your personal gatekeeper that ensures that only persons authorized by you can see your medical records, your credit card transactions, or your bank account data. No imposter can crash your network.

DW: How does the public, in general, feel about the privacy question?

Hamilton: I number of organizations, including IBIA, have conducted public opinion surveys on this topic. From the results of these surveys it is clear that the general public is a lot more pragmatic than some civil libertarians give it credit for. People generally are not at all opposed to the responsible use of biometrics.

Having said that, I caution that care should be taken to protect biometric data, wherever it is stored and for whatever the application. We must ensure that, if biometric information is collected for non-law enforcement purposes, the activity and its purpose are declared, people are told how the data will be used, people have an opportunity to opt out, and the benefits of cooperation are explained. There should be transparency, full disclosure, and honest practice for a specific purpose. These policies for privacy protection have application to any information system -not just for biometrics.

Walter Hamilton
Walter Hamilton is a recognized industry authority and subject matter expert on biometric technology. He was recently re-elected to a forth term as chairman of the International Biometric Industry Association, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit trade association that represents the collective international interests of the biometric industry. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and symposiums related to biometrics and identity management. He also serves as chairman of the Biometric Foundation, a nonprofit research and education organization. Hamilton has been committed to advancing biometric technologies and is an advocate for adoption of open standards, crucial for industry development. Hamilton was a recent recipient of a Public Service Commendation from the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard for his work in leading a voluntary team of security industry professionals in the development of a specification for reading the new Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). Hamilton is a senior consultant with Identification Technology Partners (IDTP), a consulting firm in the identity management field. Before joining IDTP in 2006, Hamilton served as vice president and general manager; Biometric Solutions, for Saflink Corporation. Prior to joining Saflink in 1995, Hamilton completed a 30-year career with Unisys Corporation.