Jacqui Smith victim of fingerprint heist
Ever since the announcement of a biometric ID card system in 1997, pressure group NO2ID has been desperately seeking a way to expose the dangers of ID cards. Now, with the revelation that they have Home Secretary Jacqui Smith’s fingerprints, it seems like they’ve finally got that chance. The real question is, what do they plan to do with it?
The fingerprints were taken last month from a glass used by the Home Secretary as she gave a speech (ironically) about how secure biometric data is. When asked, NO2ID were hesitant to reveal their plans, but confirmed that the group was confident they had a way of reproducing the prints. They stated that the glass the prints were taken from will be returned to the venue saying “We wouldn’t want to be doing anything illegal.”
According to the Home Office, “ID cards will provide an easy and secure way for legal UK residents to prove who they are.” Supporters of the scheme argue it will reduce illegal working practices and ensure that employers and public bodies are certain who they are dealing with.
However, the security of such a scheme must be called into question when biometric data can be reproduced from almost everything a person touches. In the wake of a series of data losses, it seems that government agencies themselves may be the biggest risk to the security of the scheme.
The introduction of ID cards for foreign nationals begins this November with the first ID cards for British citizens issued next year. Workers in sensitive areas such as airports are expected to have ID cards by next year. Eventually, they will become compulsory although the Government has not yet named a date.
The scheme has come under constant attack from pressure groups and the public since its announcement by the Government. A major criticism of the ID card scheme is that it involves every person surrendering personal information, such as fingerprints, about themselves. Identity fraudsters are constantly becoming more advanced, and if biometric data could be faked, there is a risk that people will accept their ID as proof they are who they say they are without questioning it, simply because it is assumed the cards are completely secure.
In addition, the cost is a serious problem. Although the Home Office has assured the public that claims the ID cards would cost up to ÂŁ300 are unfounded, it has confirmed that the cost will be more than ÂŁ5bn in the next ten years.
Even for those who do not mind their data being stored in some remote computer or the additional cost that getting other ID card will require, there remains the issue that no form of ID is completely secure, and for this reason, no form of ID will ever seriously curb crime rates. Perhaps NO2ID’s fingerprint heist is the first step in revealing just how dangerous the scheme could be.
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