This blog post examines the security and privacy invasion issues surrounding biometric technology. We explore whether this technology, which offers convenience and safety, is truly a trustworthy choice.
In the futuristic film Minority Report, scenes depict eye-scanning identity verification at the entrances of important buildings. The technology enabling these scenes is biometric recognition. Biometric recognition utilizes an individual’s unique physical characteristics—such as the retina, fingerprints, voice, or face—for security systems. For biometric technology to be effective, it must be universally applicable, relying on traits possessed by everyone. Furthermore, biometric technology requires unique characteristics that can distinguish each individual. Finally, biometric technology must possess the characteristic of being permanently unchanging.
Representative types of biometric technology that satisfy all these conditions include fingerprint recognition and iris recognition. Among these, fingerprint recognition is currently the most widely commercialized biometric technology. This is due to its low cost and potential for miniaturization, making it easily found in applications like building access points and smartphone locks. In fingerprint recognition, the overall shape characteristics of the fingerprint—such as arches, loops, and whorls—enable individual identification. Additionally, there are local characteristics like the location and direction of fingerprints’ splits. The basic principle involves scanning these features to obtain coordinates, which are then compared against existing data. This process is achieved through either a semiconductor-based principle or an optical-based principle. When using the semiconductor-based principle, pressure sensors are employed to recognize fingerprints based on the location and intensity of pressure detected by the sensor. The optical-based principle utilizes optical sensors to recognize fingerprint patterns from an image of the fingerprint.
Iris patterns, once fully developed after 18 months of age, possess the same lifelong immutability as fingerprints, making them suitable for biometric recognition technology. Furthermore, iris patterns are more diverse in number than fingerprints, resulting in a very low probability of error. They also offer the advantage of recognition via camera without direct contact with the body part. For iris recognition, the iris region is first isolated by identifying the boundaries between the pupil and iris (which exhibit significant variations in color and contrast) and the sclera surrounding the iris. These boundaries are then converted into coordinates and binarized into a sequence of 0s and 1s. This binary code sequence is compared against pre-registered data to verify identity, a process similar to fingerprint recognition. Iris recognition technology is primarily used in locations requiring high security, and its importance is growing significantly in financial institutions and military facilities. Consequently, extensive research and development is underway, with new algorithms continuously being developed to enable faster and more accurate recognition.
Beyond this, various biometric recognition technologies exist, such as facial recognition and vein recognition, applied across diverse fields. Representative examples include access control systems and financial transactions. Fingerprint recognition door locks have already become a natural part of our daily lives, and fingerprint and facial recognition are also used in automated immigration systems at international airports. For financial transactions, biometric recognition technology is expected to shine more in the future than it does today. This is because if systems are introduced that recognize one’s fingerprint or iris for payment instead of physical credit cards, it can prevent others from using one’s credit card or forgetting passwords. Particularly, with the rapid expansion of e-commerce, the importance of online security is increasing daily. As biometric recognition technology emerges as a key solution to this challenge, research and application cases within the financial sector are expected to expand further.
Beyond this, biometric recognition technology can be useful in various fields, but there are points that need to be addressed. First, there is the concern of biometric information theft. While passwords or credit cards can be replaced if stolen, biometric information cannot be changed, making the situation irreversible. In other words, the very advantage of biometric information—its permanence—can also become its greatest weakness. There are also concerns about human rights and privacy violations. Critics point out that digitizing and utilizing personal physical information, such as faces or fingerprints, and using it to monitor and record individuals’ daily lives could be anti-human rights. Such concerns, particularly when coupled with voices wary of transitioning to a surveillance society, can become obstacles to the advancement of biometric recognition technology.
Other points needing improvement include situations where the body part used for recognition is damaged or device malfunctions caused by external environments. For example, if a fingerprint or iris is damaged in an accident, recognition by existing biometric systems may become difficult. In such situations, alternative means are necessary, demanding technical improvements and enhancements. To address this problem, multi-biometric recognition technology has emerged. Multi-biometric recognition technology, which links two or more different biometric recognition systems, has been developed to compensate for issues like bodily damage or biometric information theft. This enhances the system’s safety and reliability, overcoming the limitations of a single technology. Furthermore, if solutions are found for social issues like human rights and privacy, the scope of biometric technology’s application will expand beyond current limits alongside technological advancement. Particularly, the development of biometric technology combined with artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to present a new security paradigm.
