Fingerprint Identification Abuse?

[Marcus]

Taken from : http://abc.net.au/news/default.htm

Who would trust this system and how easily could it be abused

Germans to pay by fingerprint at supermarkets

Customers of a German supermarket chain will soon be able to pay for their shopping by placing their finger on a scanner at the check-out, saving up to 40 seconds spent scrabbling for coins or cards, bosses say.

An Edeka store in the south-west German town of Ruelzheim has piloted the technology since November and now the company plans to equip its stores across the region.

"All customers need do is register once with their identity card and bank details, then they can shop straight away," store manager Roland Fitterer said.

The scanner compares the shopper's fingerprint with those stored in its database along with account details.

Edeka bosses said they were confident the system can not be abused.

The chance of two people having the same fingerprint is about one-in-220-million.

- Reuters

[Vesko]

Good they are thinking about time saving, but can they fare just as well as credit cards? I don't know -- it depends on how many people will choose to abuse, because the article misleads about the reliability of fingerprint identification. Of course it can be abused, and this is not because fingerprints are not unique, it's because it is relatively easy to get someone's fingerprints on an artificial finger made from plastic clay-types of material. Computer security systems never rely seriously on fingerprint identification except as a thin layer of security (far worse than using a password), but together with a password it does add an extra layer of protection. They better implement iris identification, which is very good protection, but that would probably be too expensive and obtrusive.

[Yothu]

Wow, imagine people bowing down at the cashier to let their iris checked in an interface. Bizarre. Reminds me of Star Trek Borg.

[VeskoP]

They don't have to bow, not even take off glasses. Frankly, I thought it is quite expensive, but a quick search revealed http://www.benefitnews.com/tech/detail.cfm?id=1782

The principal barrier to the widespread use of biometrics is probably the previously high cost of the hardware. That is beginning to change. For example, finger scan units, which cost more than $500 just two years ago, can now be had for under $100. Web video cameras can be found for as little as $50 and even the iris-scanning device, the most expensive biometric technology, previously $10,000 and up will soon break the $1,000 and possibly the $500 barrier.

The larger stores can certainly afford $500 for such a device -- and the article is from 2001.

[Yothu]

My gosh! Welcome to planet Gattaca

[Vesko]

I have seen the film -- all that is needed is a new revision of Homeland Security. The sad truth is that companies can indeed make good profit from genetically screened employees.

[Robanan]

Sometimes when I think that the planet is going to explode... ... ...I feel happy

Maybe we need some equilibrium?

[Marcus]

Sometimes when I think that the planet is going to explode... ... ...I feel happy

Maybe we need some equilibrium?

I certainly hope not.

[Aisin]

My gosh! Welcome to planet Gattaca

I've also seen Gattaca a few years back, it had set me thinking even back then, esp abt genetic screening. On fingerprint, to think that movie makers have thought of fingerprint counterfeit even before it's implemented in real life, then the idea is everywhere, it's just a matter of time before fraudulent cases arise. again, it's bound to happen because it is beneficial in terms of money. as the saying goes, money is the root of all evil.

on genetic selection of the unborn (which is the setting in the movie), it just gives me the creeps. when it goes worse, society may turn into something like the book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. of course it's just fiction, but it's disheartening to think of the possibility that so-called leaders may one day tap on such measures for materialistic progress, and forget that life is a gift, and that the mind is alive.

[Vesko]

Aisin, thank you very much for letting us know about "Brave New World". Will read it ASAP. I can see how everyone in our technology worshipping civilization will do themselves a great favour to read it!

It is in the public domain, free online at http://www.huxley.net/bnw/index.html.

I have repeatedly encountered statements by such notable scientists as Stephen Hawking that it is inevitable we modify ourselves and increase our abilities through genetic engineering and electronic upgrades. I am saddened by such thinking .

There is one movement, transhumanism. It states (http://transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/faq21/78/):

Transhumanists insist that whether something is natural or not is irrelevant to whether it is good or desirable.

for the sake of objectivity and avoiding harm, thank you for pointing out explicitly that it is a possibility he may had been misquoted, even in the original publication. I'll add a clarification to my previous post, should have really done that originally.

Supposing that Dalai Lama was not misquoted, which is a definite possibility in this case, it is funny, but tragic, what Dalai Lama appears to have said (http://transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/faq21/83/):

It is interesting to note that the Dalai Lama, when asked, did not rule out the possibility of reincarnating into computers (Hayward et al. 1992), pp. 152f.

The quoted source of the statement is "Hayward, J. et at. Gentle Bridges: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on the Sciences of the Mind. (Shambala Publications, 1992)."

Note: Edited on March 19, 2005 to add a clarification that Dalai Lama could have been misquoted.

[Aisin]

Brave New World is a good book, it made me think a lot after reading it a few years back. Thank you for the link, Vesko, i may find time to read it again. i have to admit i was close to 'technology worshipping' back in my school time, probably due to all the modern sciences which i studied, and exposure to the 'scientific' magazines and journals. but the more i learnt the more i realized the severe limitation of our achievement in science and genetic engineering etc. and i started to question why, and searched elsewhere.

Brave New World Revisited is the sequel to BNW, written some 26 years after BNW. i haven't got a chance to read it yet. Didn't manage to find the text online, probably the copyright for this book hasn't expired yet, unlike BNW

It is interesting to note that the Dalai Lama, when asked, did not rule out the possibility of reincarnating into computers (Hayward et al. 1992), pp. 152f.

I agree this is shocking, but I have a few doubts:
1) It sounds possible that the Dalai Lama was quoted out of context on Transhumanism website. however we've got to check out that page in the book to find out.
2) Even if it states so in that book, we can't totally trust the pen of Hayward Jey. Dalai Lama's words, again, may have been misquoted from the interview. A better reflection of his thoughts should be his autobiography. From TP, journalism is, after all, 1 of the top 5 evils exisitng on Earth.
3) Dalai Lama is educated. Refer to the quote below regarding his systematic education as a Dalai Lama. (It doesn't explicitly include modern science education, i wonder what level his proficiency in computer & AI technology is.)

from: http://www.dalailama.com

His Holiness then began to receive his primary education. The curriculum - same as that for all monks pursuing a doctorate in Buddhist studies included logic, Tibtean art and culture, Sanskrit, medicine and Buddhist philosophy. The last and the most important (ìand most difficultî) was subdivided into further five categories: Prajnaparamita, the perfection of wisdom; Madhyamika, the philosophy of the Middle Way; Vinaya, the canon of monastic discipline; Abidharma, metaphysics; and Pramana, logic and epistemology.

[Aisin]

in a way, i find the ideas from transhumanism.org analogous to 1 of the slogans in the recent animated movie, Robots, "why be you when you can be better", in a physical way. Sometimes such physical repair to our body eliminates the lesson that we're supposed to learn, on how to live a life. Sadly, technological progress in our time has been closely related to money-making , instead of spiritual advancement.

[Vesko]

Dalai Lama -- for the sake of objectivity and avoiding harm, thank you for pointing out explicitly that it is a possibility he may had been misquoted, even in the original publication. I'll add a clarification to my previous post, should have really done that originally.

I haven't really worshipped technology, but for many years I was somewhat close to it because I thought, or should I say, was led to think that we are wiser than previous generations because of our superior technological developments and technological focus, and that the secrets for a happier life lie in understanding first and foremost technology and the sciences related to technology. Like you, science literature initially contributed to those beliefs, together with parents and teachers brainwashed into believing those, too. Thinking carefully and remembering, something at the back of my mind told me otherwise at an early age, but unfortunately I did not consciously realize the wrong thinking well enough until I was much older -- I wish I had done that much earlier! Little by little, I realized how misleading and mistaken are such beliefs from our Church of Science. I can now see the limitations of technology better, which, in the end, helps me make better choices in life.

Thank you for the new book info, too!

[bomohwkl]

Alas, I have a fingerprint actived USB pen made by Sony given by someone. Doesn't seem to save time and the software support it doesn't always function well. A piece of junk. Normal USB pen is better.

Technology nowadays has been used to make our life more stressful. It is used to speed up a process and it made your pace of life faster. Imagine the world a thousand year ago, the life was less stressful.

A stressful life wouldn't help you to meditate better. I find out that I can meditate better and deeper when I am less agitated due to stress.

[Vesko]

Yes -- and the faster pace is because we are deluded that ever greater economic results are needed for our happiness.
I have observations, including watching of journalist investigations on how the political classes we have elected are working very little in comparison with ordinary working persons. Here in my country, the members of parliament are not required to be present during the debates and even the voting of laws, so a lot of them -- yes, a lot, are spending "quality" time in restaurants and the like, and give their voting cards to those few who stay in parliament (they rotate places), so that they can vote with their cards, too. When asked in the restaurant what law is currently being voted and how they voted, they have little or no idea. Also, some politicians are thinking to change the laws for job retirement to require 68 years for both men and women. Yet, the official statistics is that the average life expectancy of men in the country is 72 years. Most people work all their lives and pay taxes to the retirement fund (substantial sums of money that are separate from other taxes). If those laws get passed, when people retire, they will just have enough time to arrange a funeral for themselves. It is said that such measures are required because the country is in financial difficulty, yet there are a lot of young people that are unemployed, and there is little effort to organise production to the necessary level required for an acceptable living standard. The politicians wallow in their incomparable (with the ordinary men) riches and fear no one because they think there is nobody above them and because they know it is easy to delude the masses with shallow lies.
I have noticed that, unfortunately, a lot of people who are dissatisfied with the politicians are not so because they have high ideals, but because they envy them, and covet to be in their place in order to get rich quick the easy way at the expense of their neighbours or nature, of course. I have realized that a nation is as bad as its politicians -- it is not that politicians are bad and the nation is mostly comprised of innocent victims. Not only we elect bad politicians, we also bring them up in the first place. Once I realized that, I realized we cannot actually blame politicians, we have to blame ourselves -- but blame never helps, so we ought to find constructive solutions.