The European Commission is planning to implement biometrics screening and automated security checks for all visitors who wish to enter all the current member countries. This is a move to bolster internal security which has been quite troublesome in the past years with problems like terrorism and identity theft on the rise. The plan calls for mandatory scanning of a person for biometrics information which is compared to a database of known criminals and fugitives from around the world. This would bolster or even curb the growth of illegal immigrants who have overstaying status in that corner of the world. Though much of the plan is under wraps, it would surely include pioneering technology such as the facial recognition system used in the football match series that allows a person’s face to be scanned and compared to an online database of known hooligans which allows denial of entry to stadiums and even the host country to prevent violence. Hooliganism has risen in the past years with several violent clashes between police and rioters who have turned unruly during the games.
Several games had to be moved or postponed indefinitely due to fears of rising violence on and off the courts between rowdy fans and security forces.
The introduction of a scanning camera that has the ability to reveal what’s under your clothes but not enough to reveal the skin (which is to address privacy invasion issues of the past) is sure to play a vital part in the said security plan. The information of travelers would be scanned and entered into the biometric database upon visa application which is then again checked during entry into the country of destination. The system is initially for testing with suspicious travelers who may have something to hide, such as fake passports and other identity theft cases which if successful would be implemented full-scale to address the need for increased security.
All the above measures are to address the increasing cases of identity theft, cross-country crimes, illegal immigration and other related matters. Most of the countries who are voting for the said security measures are the ones who share borders with the exception of some like the UK which is separated from mainland Europe and some other countries that form the EU who are under deliberation if they would avail or support such a measure.
Facial Recognition and Smart Mice – biometrics of the invasive kind.
The future (not actually that far off) sees computer systems that are powerful enough to map out the human face which is known as facial recognition, scanning it into a database that takes a full-360 degrees picture mapping the individual face into a digital fingerprint of sorts allowing no need for invasive security systems. Imagine walking towards your workplace which is studded with cameras that constantly takes pictures of your face and compares it to a digitized database of many other faces in the system. As you get to your terminal, you get immediate access (for the system has seen you as the rightful owner of the computer terminal) to all you stuff without having to physically go through invasive security systems (like the one seen on the sci-fi movie the Minority Report). In the movie, society has evolved into a centralized environment where there are security scanners tied into all major computer systems such as media advertising boards located in major city center’s. Advertising that is suited to one’s preferences and such other information are obtained on a person through retinal scanners that continuously scans one’s location and other information such as the case in the plot which has a rogue officer of the law being subject of much fuss. This gives an insight into the possible future of the human race and how much information technology play’s a part in that future world where nothing is secret and just about anything with the right access can get enough information about you. Hot Forest’s introduction of biometrics-technology based interface system (initially a mouse) that have embedded medical grade sensors that monitor blood pressure and other vital bodily functions to indicate the productivity of their staff based on baseline information collected as the system is implemented. Their system, ‘OPTIMAL OFFICE’ monitor’s the health of their employees through sensors (heart rate monitors) and software helping management create a less stressful workplace. This allows offices to monitor their employees productivity by monitoring their blood pressure which is a sure sign of stress or too much of it allowing better management and control.
The system works and begins to provide important information about an employee who uses the system for more than 2 hours allowing the collection and collation of vitals which are compared and rated according to standards set by the medical field as either healthy or hazardous to one’s health. Management is then alerted to whether they are under or over stressed based on these information allowing the conduction of adjustments or other health analysis tests. This is said to promote a better office for healthy people who work happily are more productive. Though many see the system as too invasive, it may offer an insight on what tomorrow would hold for us as technology become’s more of a necessity rather than an addition to the way we live day by day.