So, I had to give my biometrics today. When I questioned why the state would need my finger prints, a practice that was introduced end of 19th century in Europe to track criminal recidivists, I was right away snapped at by a stout looking woman in her mid forties "Because, you are supposed to". I tried to elaborate on the fact that such practice is reserved often in developed countries for criminal offenders and that good citizens should not measure their relation with the state in any way through submission of their body. I told her "My body belongs to me and that no state should have any right to put me under surveillance. You do understand that such act is inconsistent with basic human right e.g., presumption of innocence? God forbid, something happens then innocent citizens will be stripped of their exclusive right to properly defend themselves because the state can potentially incriminate them based on the existence of inarguable evidence such as biometric data." "By the way", I continued, "Are you aware of the fact that primitive systems of data collection enabled Nazi Germans to track millions of Jews? You know, that KGB did the same to any dissidents in the former Soviet Union? You know that Rousseau, that famous French thinker who started the idea of a state of union between the state and citizenry, he mentioned that the only bond between state and its citizens should be based on sovereign relation. Once such bond will be based on biometrics what if our state decides to turn into authoritarian regime (I mean you can't deny the impossibility of it) with a right to post surveillance cameras on each street and with an access to every person's data?"
The lady in her mid forties listened breezily, smiled dismissively and asked me to press my fingers tight to the monitor. She made few clicks on her computer and thus my biometric record was initiated.
I walked out from the local "Horoo" building and was troubled by the ease my fingerprints were submitted to a database. When did this legislation was passed? Did any human rights NGOs express their concern about it? Was there any critique from the public?
6 comments:
Nowadays everywhere you go you need to submit your biometric datas. For example, you must give your biometric data, everytime you apply for a UK visa. If you refuse, you will not get anything. So I guess it is not just Mongolia is doing these things.
henii huruunuud ve :D
Yes. Unfortunately mongolians are not well educated (or informed) on their privacy issues.
I wonder how good their system is. In the US if the biometrics is not good enough, computer keeps rejecting it till they get it right.
How was it? Was it rejecting anything? If not, I would try to give poor quality fingerprints so that is not usable in the future. I know it's just a desperate way of fighting it.
They shouldn't be doing that in the first place.
@Rubiks, I don't think Mongolians are less informed about biometrics than any other person from the US. In fact, US government started this practice without even questioning the ethical aspect of it. While staying in the States I noticed many Americans to have quite naive perception about biometrics. In general they regard it as a safety issue and 9/11 I think really fostered the idea without casting any shadow of doubt over its benefits. My post here was not about questioning the quality of the biometrics and technique per se, rather I was concerned in general with the outcome and moral implications of it.
Incredibly worrisome, this is. I have refused so far to give my biometrics (fingerprints) cos I don't know how the State will use/abuse this data. This is the first time I am seeing some sort of discussion around this. And because I had not given my bloody fingerprints, it looks like I may not qualify to get my Tavan tolgoi shares...
Switzerland is also taking biometric data when you apply for a new residency permit as foreigner or new passport or ID as a citizen.
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