Questions Raised over Privacy, Racial Bias, and Accuracy
Today’s topic is BBC’s “Facebook to end use of facial recognition software” https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59143323
It is good to see BBC now mention ‘accuracy’ in the report besides other concerns, but not good enough as yet; they still do not refer to the probabilistic nature of biometrics that inevitably brings the trade-off between false acceptance (false positive/match) and false rejection (false negative/non-match)
Once they start to look at this trad-off issue, they could quickly notice that biometrics is dependent on a default password/pincode deployed in a security-lowering ‘two-entrance’ formation (as against security-enhancing ‘two-layer’ formation).
Then, they would soon be awake to the security-destructive effect of biometrics as summarised in these posts –
“Step-by-Step Analysis of Why and How Biometrics Brings Down Security”
“Biometrics is to Password what Back door is to Front door”
If there is nothing particularly wrong in using two authenticators in a ‘two-entrance’ deployment for convenience’s sake, it is absolutely wrong and unethical to spread the false sense of security by misleading the citizens to believe that the security has been improved by biometrics.
Key References
Biometrics is to Password what Back door is to Front door
Removal of Passwords and Its Security Effect
Negative Security Effect of Biometrics Deployed in Cyberspace
External Body Features Viewed as ‘What We Are’
Additional References
For Achieving Solid Digital Identity on Information Security Buzz (Mar/2021)
What We Know for Certain about Authentication Factors
Digital Identity for Global Citizens
Image-to-Code Conversion by Expanded Password System
Summary and Brief History — Expanded Password System
Proposition on How to Build Sustainable Digital Identity Platform
Account Recovery with Expanded Password System
History, Current Status and Future Scenarios of Expanded Password System
Update: Questions and Answers — Expanded Password System and Related Issues
< Videos on YouTube>
Slide: Outline of Expanded Password System (3minutes 2seconds)
Digital Identity for Global Citizens (10minutes — narrated)
Demo: Simplified Operation on Smartphone for consumers (1m41s)
Demo: High-Security Operation on PC for managers (4m28s)
Demo: Simple capture and registration of pictures by users (1m26s)
Slide: Biometrics in Cyber Space — “below-one” factor authentication
