News

Study shows public support for biometrics at ATMs, elsewhere

January 8, 2003

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Most Americans are willing to accept increased use of biometric technologies by private sector firms, providing proper privacy safeguards are applied, according to a study funded by the US Bureau of Justice Statistics and developed by lobbyists Privacy & American Business (P&AB).

Although consumer experience with biometrics is generally low, 56 percent to 91 percent questioned in the study say it is acceptable for the private sector to request a biometric scan (using, for example, fingerprint or iris recognition technology) when:

• Withdrawing funds from an ATM (78 percent)
• Checking the identity of an individual buying a gun against a database of convicted felons (91 percent)
• Verifying the identity of those making credit card purchases (85 percent)
• Accessing sensitive files, such as medical or financial records (77 percent)
• Conducting background checks (76 percent)

The survey, conducted through a series of phone interviews in August, showed a strong link between concerns over identity fraud and support for the uses of biometrics.

The majority of respondents agreed that privacy safeguards -- such as informed consent and a prohibition on using biometric IDs for any purpose other than those originally described to the individual -- need to be put in place if biometrics systems are to be used.