Biometrics: Myths, Opportunities, and Trends
Biometrics is a powerful tool that can significantly improve the quality of life in society. However, this requires balancing technological capabilities and the need to protect personal information, while ensuring ethical and responsible use of biometric data. These were the conclusions reached by the participants of the session ‘Biometrics: Myths, Opportunities, and Trends’, which was held as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
KEY CONCLUSIONS
Biometrics has become commonplace, and its use continues to expand
“Today, the demand for digitalization is very high, 115 million people in our country are now registered on Gosuslugi. They voluntarily signed up. Thus, we see that providing municipal, state services of any kind can be conveniently done through a personal account. Biometrics is one of the tools that will allow to provide more people with an improved quality and convenience of services. [Create conditions under which, – Ed.] no extra paperwork or passport is needed. All of this will obviously become a thing of the past. Resisting it, in my opinion, is quite ridiculous. <...> Our session today is meant to make sure that we are all already using biometrics – starting from the iPhone to the fact that in school our children often use the established biometrics system. Banks use biometrics, and the border control uses biometrics. So, we can argue whether we need it or not, but it is already in place,” Andrey Vorobyov, Governor of Moscow Region.
“In the last two years alone, almost 2 million people have voluntarily submitted biometrics. <...> Because with the use of biometrics, according to today’s norms and rules, you can receive certain government services, banking services, and so on. It is simply more convenient and cheaper,” Dmitriy Grigorenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation – Chief of the Government Staff.
PROBLEMS
People doubt the security of the use and storage of their biometric data
“I think people are afraid that biometrics will allow other information to be stolen,” Yury Maksimov, Co-founder, Positive Technologies; Co-founder, Cyberus.
“I am pro [biometrics, – Ed.]. I use it all the time, everywhere I can. Everything is biometric, everything is fingerprint-based, because I am too lazy to carry cards and it is much more convenient to just do it with my face. <...> [With the introduction and active use of biometrics, there is a possibility that, – Ed.] people will rather start struggling with how frighteningly effective this system can be for people,” Artemy Lebedev, Founder, Art. Lebedev Studio.
SOLUTIONS
Establishment of a reliable biometric data protection system
“If we do everything right here, conduct proper public testing, involve hackers, and check that after we paid RUB 1 million, a hacker would not be able break into this system and steal data, we will have created a foundation. And in 20 years, when we may realize that we need to deal with biometrics in a different way, we will have this data classified,” Yury Maksimov, Co-founder, Positive Technologies; Co-founder, Cyberus.
Keeping the use of biometrics optional
“Biometrics in Russia and its development are built – this is very important – on the principles of voluntariness. When we adopted the federal law on a unified biometric system and worked on it very seriously and systematically, the main idea behind this initiative, which has been implemented and is currently in place, was the freedom of choice of the individual. When someone tries to reproach or accuse the state today that it is creating a kind of digital gulag, that the state is forcibly driving people in, requiring them to surrender their biometrics and other personal data, and actually leaving them no choice, this is absolutely untrue. <...> You have the right to submit your biometrics, you have the right to dispose of your biometric data and personal data in general, and you choose for yourself whether you want to do it or not. Moreover, I would like to remind you that we have a norm according to which a person can at any time withdraw his/her consent to the processing of both personal and biometric data. And in this case, the information about a particular person is removed from the Unified Biometric System,” Alexander Khinshtein, Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications.
“First, this technology [any new technology, in this case it is biometrics, – Ed.] must be useful, and it must be introduced to those people who are most receptive to it. <...> It should be exactly a voluntary, friendly, good system,” Artemy Lebedev, Founder, Art. Lebedev Studio.
*This is a translation of material that was originally generated in Russian using artificial intelligence.
For more information, visit the Roscongress Information and Analytical System roscongress.org.
