Day 2 Presentations & Abstracts, 5 January 2010
10. Xiaomei Zhai, Center for Bioethics, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China -
'The Status Quo and Ethical Governance in Biometric in Mainland China'
Click here for Presentation
This presentation discusses the current state of ethical governance of biometric data in Mainland China. Biometric technologies are the most important innovation in the IT industry for the coming years. In China, biometric applications include identifying Olympic Game fans, airport passengers, and play a significant role in border crossing control. But the challenges to further implementing the technology are many, considering there are no national standards yet for biometrics, no public discussions on ethics or governance of the technology, and a lack of privacy laws in China. The ethical concerns that must be considered in regards to collecting biometric data include privacy loss, stigmatization and discrimination, thievery, and identity loss. Any good governing ethical framework must consider these concerns, as well as the nine fundamental principles related to biometrics outlined in this presentation.
11. Blair Stewart, Assistant Commissioner Office of the Privacy Commissioner, New Zealand -
'The International Standards on the Protection of Personal Data and Privacy'
Click here for Presentation
This presentation discusses biometrics and the Madrid Resolution on international standards on the protection of personal data and privacy. In recent years, biometric technology has been embraced and deployed with proven success. However, there is still a degree of security debate and controversy surrounding use of the technology. Several applications are discussed in this regard, including border control systems and the SmartGate New Zealand and Australian passport control system. And while the Madrid Resolution, approved in 2009, does not include any explicit rules on biometric technology use, it may be able to synthesize other existing privacy proposals. The presentation concludes with a discussion of why this is so based on who has adopted the resolution, why it was adopted, and what it says.
12. Dr. Elazar Zadok, Former Director, Identification and Forensic Science Division, Israel -
'Legislative and Ethical Questions Regarding Forensic 'Biometric' Databases'
Click here for Presentation
This presentation provides an overview of forensic science, and discusses the legislative and ethical issues concerning DNA and other forensic “biometric” databases. Differences between DNA data and forensic data are distinguished, followed by a detailed discussion of the legal and ethical issues concerning the information maintained in each type of database. The UK National DNA database is examined to illustrate the achievements and expenses in a real world application. A second illustration considers the tradeoffs between the welfare of society versus the privacy rights of the individual when governments maintain DNA databases.
13. Dr. Raymond Wong and Mr. Wilfred Tan -
'ABCs of Biometrics'
Click here for Presentation
This presentation discusses the controversial issues involved in using biometric technology to determine personal identity and identification. It questions whether any person’s identity can be considered truly unique, and if the data attempting to identify a person can be considered trustworthy. Government applications of biometric technology include passport and travel document control, but false identity concerns still exist. Final presentation topics include possible solutions to the concerns.
14. Ho Chang, BioID AG, Switzerland –
'Privacy and Data Protection for Social Networks'
Click here for Presentation
This presentation discusses the problems inherent in protecting privacy and data when using online social networks – problems which affect both users and their social networking service providers. There have been several highly publicized incidents in which personal data posted to a social networking site resulted in life threatening and/or criminal actions. But who is ultimately responsible – the users, the service providers, or the government? This presentation introduces the concept of a biometric “Social ID” as a possible framework for authenticating social networking users in an attempt to protect their privacy and personal data.
15. Nicolas Delvaux –
'Protected Biometrics for Identity Trust'
Click here for Presentation
This presentation considers biometric technology as one of the factors to determine trustworthy identity. The passport system is one such discussed case study, as there are several challenging issues inherent in the current passport system that the biometric-based ICAO 9303 standard may resolve by linking a document to the document holder. However, the use of biometric technology may also invite privacy and security concerns, including ID fraud, the misuse of collected data, and database theft. The presentation stresses that identity is a major value in society and must be protected by suggested technical and legal approaches.