Myths surrounding biometrics, often exaggerating its capabilities and the risks associated with personal data usage, can create user wariness and hinder the adoption of new technologies. This is further fueled by the unrealistic depictions in science fiction films and a general lack of information. This article aims to shed light on the collection and usage of biometric data, providing a clearer understanding of the technology.

Myth: Biometrics steals privacy

In the modern world, there is a fear that people will have no personal space left where they can be alone, their images are captured by biometric systems and thus become available to third parties who can use them for any purpose.

When biometric systems "capture" an image of a face or other body part, they process the information and convert it into special digital objects called biometric templates. Therefore, photographs and other images are not stored in biometric databases, like fingerprint images in police systems. Biometric templates can be compared to complex formulas that are completely unreadable to humans. When processing an image, the system compares the template to others, for example, one already stored in the database or was simultaneously read from an access card. Essentially, it is about determining the close correspondence of two mathematical formulas in some common measurement space. They do not contain any personal information: last name, first name, date of birth, address, etc. Therefore, it is difficult to extract any benefit from them without linking them to personal information.

Learn more here: The Biggest Facial Recognition Myths