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Brain Scanning May Be Used In EU Security Checks

Posted by timothy on from the who-do-you-think-you-are? dept.

An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from the Guardian: "Distinctive brain patterns could become the latest subject of biometric scanning after EU researchers successfully tested technology to verify identities for security checks. The experiments, which also examined the potential of heart rhythms to authenticate individuals, were conducted under an EU-funded inquiry into biometric systems that could be deployed at airports, borders and in sensitive locations to screen out terrorist suspects." The same article says that "The Home Office, meanwhile, has confirmed rapid expansion plans of automated facial recognition gates: 10 will be operating at major UK airports by August." I wonder what Bruce Schneier would have to say about such elaborate measures.

11 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Next up: thought crime by El_Muerte_TDS · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Because we can (ab)use this technology to identify brain patterns of illegal behavior.
    The identification would be fool proof, but who cares when you can catch terrorists and pedophiles.

    1. Re:Next up: thought crime by MindKata · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "Because we can (ab)use this technology"

      They seem determined to abuse technology as far as it can go. They need to learn that just because we now have ever more technology to abuse peoples privacy, that doesn't mean that's the right thing to keep on doing ever more. For example, just because we have the technology to knock down everyone's door, drag the people out of the house and strip search them in the road, that doesn't mean that's what everyone wants them to do. If they are just allowed to keep abusing technology as far as it can go, then we are walking into a horrific world. This abuse has to stop.

      --
      There are 10 kinds of people in the world... those who understand binary and those who don't.
    2. Re:Next up: thought crime by SpooForBrains · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Exactly.

      All these attempts at automated biometric identification just need to stop, now. None of it works. Facial / Iris recognition is far too unreliable to be used in any sort of serious context. Not even fingerprint recognition works reliably (or we'd all be bloody using it).

      They need to stop pouring money down this black hole right now.

      --
      "The dew has clearly fallen with a particularly sickening thud this morning"
    3. Re:Next up: thought crime by robably · · Score: 5, Insightful

      None of it works. ... They need to stop pouring money down this black hole right now.

      They need to stop now not because it doesn't work, but because eventually it will get to the point where it does work.

  2. Terrorist Brain Patterns by bigdaisy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Do terrorists have distinctive brain patterns that would cause an alarm to go off?

    All this does is help to confirm that the passport holder is the person to whom the passport was issued. The 9/11 bombers would all have passed this test, as they were travelling on their own passports.

    1. Re:Terrorist Brain Patterns by Aladrin · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And even if they hadn't, passports are hackable anyhow. They can change all that information on both the paper and the chip.

      Also, how much work is it to keep thousands of brain scanners all calibrated the same?

      And finally, what about false positives/negatives? Sure, fingerprints are 'unique', but we only sample a few points... It's actually possible to be wrong. Same with DNA, etc etc. Why is this any different? In fact, it's worse... Brains CHANGE over time.

      --
      "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
    2. Re:Terrorist Brain Patterns by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      My greatest issue with this scheme isn't the invasion of privacy. It's that the people who recommend it aren't nearly as intelligent as the parent comment poster.

      I don't even think this is an invasion of my privacy. I do, however, realise that it's a money soak, a sham, another prop in the security theatre.

      Sometimes I wish I didn't realise it. Then I wouldn't feel so ashamed to be part of this nation.

      --
      Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
  3. Enough is enough... by Manip · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Enough security at airports, we get it, they're "safe." The real security threats are against soft targets with no protection at all. Any location with a large crowd is a target and they're also impossible to defend.

    I can see why you want fingerprints on passports, but all the insane stuff since then (e.g. "makes you naked" (Backscatter) child porno vision) is just over the top and adds an insanely small amount of additional protection.

    Let's remember:
    - All 9/11 passengers used valid ID
    - All recent terrorists have also used valid ID

    1. Re:Enough is enough... by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      - There's no security before check-in, and many times more people to harm.

      --
      Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
    2. Re:Enough is enough... by mdwh2 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Any location with a large crowd is a target

      Indeed - such as the queue of people waiting to be fingerprinted and brain-scanned...

  4. Re:Yet they won't even take simple measures by Yacoby · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If Western countries simply prohibited Saudi nationals from staying for any length longer than a vacation or business trip, it'd be easier to keep out suspected Islamic terrorists. If Western governments would also start shutting down Saudi-financed mosques and Islamic schools, that'd be even better.

    We can't do that. Do you know how much oil comes from Saudi Arabia?