The Ethics of Behavioral Biometrtics

Is storing personal biometric data ethical even with the consent of the users? I don’t see why it wouldn’t be. If we evaluate first the people affected by such a decision we see that the only people affected by it are those who authorize the consent and those requesting it. But, if we look at more the consequences these individuals receive it seems the only people that could be affected are the users. To explain my point, let’s say there was no biometric data. If an unauthorized person attempts to access your account all they really have access to now is your data. They don’t have any more access to the company’s internal systems than you do. You’re at a loss here. Now let’s say there is biometric data. One of the flaws for the concept of storing personal biometrics is how it gets used. For instance, if it’s being sold to insurance companies who adjust your rates based on symptoms seen in the biometrics that could lead to more severe medical conditions later in life (such as shaking hands when using a mouse could lead to Parkinson’s). Again you’re at a loss here. I think for today’s day and age, it’s ethical enough. I don’t think we “shouldn’t” be doing it, but we probably need to have a discussion into how we’re using it and disclaimers for if the data is being sold to third parties.Is it ethical to provide the government with user biometrics to assist with national security? As unpopular of an opinion as it is, I believe so. Maybe it’s ignorant, but I if the government is using it to look for fraudulent identities or facial recognition to match against know terrorist groups, isn’t that convenient? I just can’t see how it would be a negative if you’re not attempting to cheat the system.

Is the use of biometrics an invasion of personal privacy? I think it’s a total invasion. I know I’m a fairly open person, so I usually err on the side of “what does it matter if you’re not doing anything wrong”, but I do think it’s a major invasion of privacy. I feel it’s pretty close to just watching you. Because it is really. It’s just one of those things that feels wrong.