Earlier post here.
Australian Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim has warned pubs and clubs collecting biometric information from their patrons not to "automatically" share that information with other clubs unless they have notified their patrons.This Makes sense. The terms of service between bar owners and their customers should be transparent and understood by all parties, just as they are when users input personal information into web sites.
If the owner can reduce costs and better serve customers by making the environment safer by identifying and discouraging the few patrons that spoil the experience for everyone else, the owner should be free to take measures in furtherance of that goal. If biometrics are the method of accomplishing this goal with the greatest efficacy (ROI), then so be it.
It is reasonable to infer that the bar owners who have adopted biometric systems believe that a hard-drinking, trouble-making bully drives away customers, raises expenses and leaves the owner liable for damages to innocent people and their property while the biometric check simply drives away some customers and leads others to feel safer.
I might, however, suggest that there is a solution that could accomplish the goal while reducing many of the privacy concerns raised by concerned stakeholders: Facial Recognition.
Fingerprints are cheap and effective (huge ROI) which is why they are being adopted at such a high rate. But for reasons more cultural than scientific, they are sometimes perceived as invasive of privacy.
In an era where everyone has a video camera in their pocket and business establishments have had cameras (and signs alerting the customers as to their presence) installed for twenty-five years or more, installing a video camera at the front door is simply not that controversial. There is also no well established expectation of privacy from being photographed in a public place. The terms of use for video and photos are already implicitly understood.
The systems are a bit more expensive and they are a bit less accurate than the near-perfect results offered by fingerprint systems but their deployment is less controversial and there is nothing preventing the sharing of a photograph among private parties.
There is no magic bullet in biometric identity management. Different modalities are suited to different applications depending upon the physical and social environment in which they are deployed. A good cost-benefit analysis incorporating financial and social considerations helps determine the preferred identity management system.
SecurLinx offers a product, FaceTrac, developed for the specific concern the pub owners are attempting to address.
For additional information about FaceTrac: mail@securlinx.com
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