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Infographic – Americans Leery of Biometrics

Biometrics opinions chart

Click on image for full-size view (Statista)

18 May 2019. San Francisco on Tuesday became the first U.S. city to ban the use of facial recognition technology by city agencies, which as our friends at Statista point out, reflects a nationwide unease with biometric system. A solid majority of Americans express at least some doubts about biometrics for accessing computers, this weekend’s infographic.

Last October, Statista conducted a survey about biometrics — measurement and analysis of people’s physical characteristics for identification, authentication, and access control — among people in the U.S. In addition to facial recognition, biometrics covers techniques such as fingerprints, iris matching, and voice recognition. The results show about 3 in 10 Americans (31%) have no arguments with biometrics for authentication, but the rest of the adult population has misgivings. The most frequently cited issues are worries about the use of their data and the ability to trick the technology, with 17 and 16 percent respectively.

The New York Times says Oakland, California and the town of Somerville, Massachusets near Boston are considering similar city-wide agency bans. A statewide bill is also being debated in Massachusetts, and legislation to restrict the use of facial recognition technology for commercial purposes was introduced in the U.S. Senate last month.

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