Creepy fingerprint surveillance

[auroraglacialis]

Just in case someone still doubts that affordable cameras are able to identify people at a distance:
IDair's new fingerprint reader captures prints from 6 meters away | al.com
Their system is available for now $2000, expected to get much cheaper with time. It is a high resolution camera and a computer with advanced software. It can identify the fingerprint of a person who is standing 6 meters (18') away from the camera. Currently the system only recognizes the fingerprint of a single digit, not enough for unique identification, but they are working on getting all fingers scanned plus biometrics, plus Iris scans.
The system is now used in military installations and - fitness centers (WTF!) and is expected to have a variety of applications up to shpooing with your biometrics-linked bank account.

This is so incredibly creepy that I had to post it, despite some people who probably will find it a great idea to pay in the future at any shop by just waving your hand. Me at least, it reminds me of a combination of gattaca and 1984 in some ways. Just thinking that such a relatively cheap system (that is predominantly software based as Hi-Res digital surveillance cameras are already common) could be deployed by numerous companies, like transit companies or surveillance of public places sends a shiver down my spine. If one would be able to collect and merge data from these... or if there will be a market for fingerprint data like there is now one for valid email adresses or credit cards - the implications...

IDair makes a machine that Burcham says can photographically capture a fingerprint from as far away as six meters in enough detail to match against a database. Add facial and iris-recognition technology, Burcham said, and you have the basis for a good biometrics system that can control access to any building or room within a building.[...]
HudsonAlpha, known for human genome and other biological research, gave Burcham a desk for his startup company [..]The basic IDair machine now, which costs under $2,000, processes one finger's print.[...]

It's the security of the fingerprint database that concerns privacy experts such as Lee Tien, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "There are so many steps where a (digital) fingerprint can leak," Tien said.
[...]
"Yes, it can be abused," Burcham agreed. "Anything can be abused. The point is, are there restrictions in place to not abuse it?" The answer with IDair is yes, he said. "But what it's going to come down to is: Do you want to go through that door? Do you want to buy something with Amazon?"

[Sìkat]

Originally Posted by auroraglacialis

Just in case someone still doubts that affordable cameras are able to identify people at a distance:
IDair's new fingerprint reader captures prints from 6 meters away | al.com
Their system is available for now $2000, expected to get much cheaper with time. It is a high resolution camera and a computer with advanced software. It can identify the fingerprint of a person who is standing 6 meters (18') away from the camera. Currently the system only recognizes the fingerprint of a single digit, not enough for unique identification, but they are working on getting all fingers scanned plus biometrics, plus Iris scans.
The system is now used in military installations and - fitness centers (WTF!) and is expected to have a variety of applications up to shpooing with your biometrics-linked bank account.

For any company using something like this, the only finger they're gonna see is my middle finger while I'm walking away.

Seems to me that a few strategically-placed bandages or a glove could deal with this quite nicely, though.

[Niri Te]

Originally Posted by sfc78

For any company using something like this, the only finger they're gonna see is my middle finger while I'm walking away.

Seems to me that a few strategically-placed bandages or a glove could deal with this quite nicely, though.

Don't forget the dark sunglasses for the iris scans. Hey, now HEEERE is a "mass protest" that I could agree with, everyone in the Country who is against this kind of intrusion, get one of those screaming face masks that look like the "Munch paintings". THEN pack them safely away in their luggage, and all agree on a date to ALL show up in Washington D.C.. AFTER they get out of the Airports, and Train/Bus stations, all meet at the mall between the White House, and the Washington Monument. Don't wear the masks into restaurants, or the Hotels that they would be staying at for the weekend, no need to spark any reasons for quiet solitary arrests, and let's see how much international media attention THAT little "get together" would spark.
Niri Te

[Raiden]

Welp.

Time to get out the 3 M HCl and rub my fingertips together.

[tm20]

the demon's name is surveillance

[iron_jones]

Originally Posted by tm20

the demon's name is surveillance

[Fosus]

Originally Posted by sfc78

For any company using something like this, the only finger they're gonna see is my middle finger while I'm walking away.

I lold

but it's true

[proudgaruda]

Oh MY ! Its one thing to have this kind of stuff that you have to physically put your hand on, but this is terrible The corp execs are going to use this for security first (ie. to get into corp. offices and such), but when the government gets hold of this, its over people.

You won't be able to go anywhere, and there's nothing we can really do, because by the time you've walked to the entrance, you will have already been scanned.

The government will know where you are at all times. I guess in the future, those "plain" security cams aren't so plain after all...

I could see where criminals could go with this... put a camera on the wall and capture everyone's fingerprints, then before you even know what's happened, the crooks got your bank account emptied before you even blinked...

[Sight Unseen]

Minority Report anyone?

[Human No More]

I don't see what makes this so special; there are a lot of surveillance technologies around, a common one these days is 'smart meters' that log what you're doing in real time, can identify specific uses of power, and are also extremely badly secured and open to remote access.

RE: The WTFing about fitness centres: Some connect memberships to biometric data for cardless entry. It's all just being a showoff, really, but it's been done for years.

[Stanley_9875]

Makes me not want to go out anymore xP losing our privacy daily