Ethics of Biometrics

Entry of the Encyclopedia of Cryptography, Security and Privacy - Biometrics is a neologism coined by Francis Galton (1822–1911), an English geographer, anthropologist, naturalist, and pioneer in eugenics. Galton modified a previous Greek neologism invented by Anglican priest, and polymath, William Whewell (1794–1866) who first used the term “biometry” to mean “calculation of life expectancy” (1831). The term was then popularized in 1860s by T.S. Lambert, meaning “application of mathematics to the study of biology” (Online Etymology Dictionary 2020). Starting from the 1970s, however, the term has acquired a further and prevalent sense, “The automated identification or verification of an individual’s identity through measurable physical or behavioural traits” (ISO/IEC 2382-37 2012). In this article we will discuss only this more recent meaning.