As
rumours of the Apple iPhone 6S have already begun to circulate, much of the
speculation relates to the new hardware will be present on this latest upgrade.
One such possible upgrade may be an Iris Scanner to identify the owner by
scanning their Iris as demonstrated in the movie Minority Report.
I
say this as researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in the US have
developed an Iris scanning equiptment that can identify a driver from as far
away as 40 feet as explained in the article “Iris scanners can
now identify us from 40 feet away”, published May 22 2015 by AnneMarie
Oostveen and Diana Dimitrova, Phys.org.
In
a study involving several participants, they achieved this feat by using the
reflection of the driver's eye in the side mirror to capture a scan of their Iris.
Most
likely, they used scanning algorithms similar to those used by California
Institute of Technology in their Portable 3D Scanning Device as described in my
blog article
entitled “@CalTech's
Portable 3D Scanning Device - How portable 3D Scanning using LIDAR gives a
boost to 3D Printing revolution”.
Carnegie Mellon University
remote Iris scanning – Participants fear invasion of Privacy
The
researchers at Carnegie Mellon University envisioned long-range
remote Iris scanning replacing other types of Biometric scanning, including
Fingerprint readers.
This
may have applications as diverse as helping the disabled control computers and
even drive to becoming a replacements for travel documents as envisioned in my Geezam blog article entitled “Samsung’s
EYECAN+ Open Source Mouse Upgrade with Samsung Galaxy Sauce”.
But
many of the participants in the study feared that the technology could result
in an invasion of Privacy, especially in the US of A. The EU (European Union) already
has strong privacy laws, so they have little to fear.
Many
in the study conducted by the Carnegie Mellon University preferred a
physical interaction with the biometric reader such as with the Apple Touch ID
as described in my blog article
entitled “Apple
iPhone and the Sapphire plated Touch ID Fingerprint scanner - The Death of
passwords and the birth of Biometrics than a situation where it remotely” determines
your identity.
Via
tactile interaction, you have more control over your identity as well as you
can query why it is being requested. With a remote Iris scanner, your identity
can be known without your consent and possibly be used to sell you advertising,
again like the Movie Minority Report.
Carnegie Mellon
University study fear Acceptance – Resistance is futile if Iris Scanning is
popular like Touch ID
The
main fear expressed by the participants in the Carnegie Mellon University study
was that like all technology, it would meet with initial resistance before it
became the norm, as was the case with Touch ID.
Touch
ID on the Apple iPhone 5S back in September 2013 was much vilified by
detractors when it initially came out, with hackers keen to demonstrate how easily
it was to hack the system as explained in the article by chief security
researcher at Lookout Mobile Security Marc Rogers in the article “Apple's
Touch ID still vulnerable to hack, security researcher finds”, published
September 23, 2014 by Seth Rosenblatt, CNET News.
But
within a few months after its introduction, it was accepted as a means of making
the Apple iPhone 5S more secure.
Touch
ID which can be used as your Apple ID's password is the basis for the
Activation Lock that's making it harder for thieves to steal your Apple iPhone
as reported in my blog article
entitled “Apple
iPhone thefts down 50% in London - How Activation Lock prevents Apple iPhone
theft as CTIA moves towards Killswitch”.
So
this form of biometric security became accepted once it proved to be a way of
securing your smartphone, as Touch ID has resulted in a dramatic 50% drop in
Apple iPhone thefts in major cities across the world. Many of the participants
fear the same will happen with this remote Iris scanning technology, especially
if it is introduced on a popular platform such as the Apple iPhone.
Only
this time, due to its remote reading capabilities, it might end up being
licensed for use in other devices, potentially making visions of its use for advertising
and identification for the purpose of travel as per the Movie Minority Report
come true.
Carnegie Mellon University
Remote Iris Scanner - Legal considerations to be considered
So
with these worries being expressed by the participants in the
Carnegie Mellon University, are there any legal mechanisms to prevent
such a future coming to pass?
In
the EU, which has stronger privacy laws, companies planning to use the
technology would have to demonstrate that it was a necessary and proportionate solution
to a legitimate problem i.e. smartphone and Tablet theft, personal
identification for travel, Low-cost Personal direct advertising applications.
Testing
would have to be done to determine that this was the least intrusive solution
as well as determine all the benefits and possible risks to the individual’s
personal identity.
EU
law also requires it relates to personal information, that persons be informed:
1.
When their personal information is being
accessed
2.
Who is collecting their personal
information
3.
Why is their personal information
personal information
4.
Rights for redress in case of harm
arising from the collection of their personal information
Security
is also another issue, especially if this Iris scan Data is to be used to give
access to financial systems. It would be required that the if the Data be
stored on the personal device or on a Cloud Server, that the level of security
use the highest possible encryption level possible as well as safeguard to
prevent intercept of the Data during transmission.
This
may be very difficult, as your personal Data may not always be stored on a Server
in your country, making it possible for persons in that country to abuse their
access to your personal Data. And like Touch ID, it is already possible to
deceive the system, making it subject to further scrutiny under EU Law.
But
the big question, aside from these legal considerations is this: when will this
be coming to the Apple iPhone or any other Apple Product? Thoughts to ponder as
Remote Iris scanning may become the next big trend in 2016.
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