An editorial in today's New York Times, Visitors and Their Fingerprints. References a U.S. Government requirement for machine readable passports containing biometric information such as fingerprints or iris scans.
In an announcement from the Department of Homeland Security, the Bush administration is seeking a two-year extension for the requirement, originally set to take effect in October 2003 and already extended to October 2004.
Many privacy and civil liberties organizations are wary of such documents unless they are accompanied with strict safeguards on government use of the biometric information contained in them. Machine readable passports and other travel documents can be used to track a person's whereabouts and inhibit freedom of movement. |
