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Iris Scanning Set To Secure City In Mexico
kkleiner writes "The million-plus citizens of Leon, Mexico are set to become the first example of a city secured through the power of biometric identification. Iris and face scanning technologies from Global Rainmakers, Inc. will allow people to use their eyes to prove their identify, withdraw money from an ATM, get help at a hospital, and even ride the bus. Whether you're jealous or intimidated by Leon's adoption of widespread eye identification you should pay attention to the project – similar biometric checkpoints are coming to locations near you. Some are already in place."
There is one major difference. The government can sell the idea if Iris scanning much easier than fingerprinting to the masses. If they ask me to give a fingerprint to enter that is old technology, and closely identified with what happens to criminals to most people. As opposed to: You want me to look into this thing to enter? You mean like on Mission Impossible! Wow that's cool! Where do I sign up?
As you rightly point out, there is no reason to fear most technological innovations in and of themselves. The justified and proper concern enters the equation when we start to ask not how this can be used, but rather how it will likely be abused .
Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
Of all the countries where I wouldn't want having my eye in my head as the only barrier to someone else's quick cash...
The phrase "inherently fallible" is part of the headline of this recent Eureka Alert regarding Biometrics. Original work by the National Research Council.
This is yet another example of a multinational corporation taking advantage of corrupt governments in Mexico and Latin America to push undesirable and invasive technologies and business practices upon ignorant and disadvantaged populations. Of course, even the ignorant can become informed and once the people of Leon see the sorts of uses to which corrupt government officials will put this new technology the backlash will begin: el pueblo unido jamás será vencido.
I don't like being tracked, especially when I'm on the way back from the head shop
Certainly you may pay cash instead, Citizen, but might I inquire what it is you are trying to hide?
What about the inability to change passwords (compromised passwords for example)? Isnt that a big security risk too?
Secured? Hardly. Monitored might be a good description, but "secured" can't be done with a camera no matter how smart the software is. Security is a human thing and accurate, reliable monitoring is just one piece of an overall security process.
People report being unable to bank and enter their homes.
You're grossly oversimplifying things. A lot of factors have contributed:
There's plenty of blame to spread around on both sides of the fence. I do agree, though, that the best way to end drug violence is to create a legal marketplace for the least harmful and most common of those drugs. Prohibition never works if you're talking about products that people want to consume. You'd think the government would have learned this eighty years ago. The only way they got the U.S. back under control was by repealing prohibition. Sadly, the "morally superior" never learn. They just keep standing there in their ivory towers issuing edicts, repeating the same mistakes, and wondering why the side of the tower is burning.
Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.
I don't like being tracked, especially when I'm on the way back from the head shop
Certainly you may pay cash instead, Citizen, but might I inquire what it is you are trying to hide?
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Well, I enjoy smoking my legally purchased tobacco out of a fine crafted glass pipe myself.
However a bunch of other people seem to assume such a purchase means I am a druggie hopped up on goofballs.
I am hiding from stupid people and their stupidity, because stupid people can still cause a great deal of damage to my life.
Unfortunately that answer is not always a good one to provide in court. One can never tell ahead of time if the cop or the judge happens to be one of those stupid people, until it is too late. So best to try and avoid finding out at all costs.
It isnt just compromised passwords.
Consider the following...
I get a bank account at WeAreSecure Bank and Trust and they require Iris Scanning. Great, right?
Then I get a job at WeAreParanoid Industries and they require Iris Scanning. Great... oh wait...
Now some WeAreParanoid employees have all the information needed to mess with my WeAreSecure accounts, and some WeAreSecure employees have all the information they need to gain unauthorized access to WeAreParanoid.
Now, add Iris Scanning to both State and Federal government stuff.. and before you know it, Iris Spoofing becomes and unstoppable crime.
"His name was James Damore."
If tobacco and liquor are allowed and have the same detrimental effects, then I don't see the logic.
The reason drugs are prohibited is because they destroy people physically and mentally.Check the medical research on the subject ('research' I said - not the 'opinion' of some doctors)
Drugs were originally prohibited as a tool to control Americans and immigrants of black and mexican persuasion. It than grew into a form of direct control of the population and a great source of funds for the enforcement/detainment industry and government 'Black Ops'.
Did you know LSD was designed to be the perfect drug that would not destroy your body (unlike opium) and not result in addiction. However, my understanding is it can lead to psychosis - sure it doesn't do it to everyone but the people it does it to have permanent mental damage.
LSD was discovered while searching for a drug to induce labor in pregnant women.
LSD does seem to cause psychosis, in people who have never done it. *Tips hat to Mr. Leary*
Even 'harmless' marijuana has psychological effects after prolonged use that outweigh the benefits.
Even if that was true, so what? Should there be a law to prevent me from smoking, drinking, eating junk food, watching too much TV... The government or you have no business to make decisions regarding what I choose to put into my body or mind.
You may already know this stuff, but many proponents of drugs don't. Personally I wouldn't care if people use drugs if it didn't damage themselves so much (and consequently you get methheads and people wasted on P doing all sorts of bad stuff - even worse than drunk driving). If people could be trusted to take recreational drugs responsibly (infrequent low doses, over 18 etc) then it'd be fine - problem is, most people suck at judging these things (hell, most people shouldn't be trusted with a cheque book or credit card) so the Nanny State has to make a blanket ruling to compensate for the suckage of the General Populace.
You go ahead and enjoy your Nanny state, scared little child. Meanwhile the smarter and less lazy of us will continue grow up and learn to take responsibility for ourselves, as grown-ups should.
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everybody agrees that it is old enough to know better." - Unknown