Biometrics
The Use of Biometrics - Guidance from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
The following is an extract from a statement of the Commissioner’s view on the use of biometric technologies in schools.
Biometric technologies are those which automatically measure people’s physiological or behavioural characteristics. Examples include automatic fingerprint identification, iris and retina scanning, face recognition and hand geometry, and their use is becoming increasingly common in both public and private sectors.
Schools have over the last few years begun to use automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS) for registration, library book borrowing and cashless catering.
There is nothing explicit in the Act to require schools to seek consent from all parents before implementing a fingerprinting application. However, unless schools can be certain that all children understand the implications of giving their fingerprints, they must fully involve parents in order to ensure that the information is obtained fairly.
For more information download a full copy of the ICO Guidance:
|
