When biometrics enters the news cycle, it is usually in the context of a critical discussion on the risks versus the benefits - an ethical debate, as evidenced by recent events in Afghanistan, that can be a matter of life and death. Taking a step back to a more technical level, fundamental questions arise: what is the purpose of collecting biometrics, and is it possible to process it in a way that is fit for purpose?
In this post, ahead of the upcoming DigitHarium discussions on biometrics, ICRC strategic technology advisers Vincent Graf Narbel and Justinas Sukaitis investigate how modern techniques in information security can -- or cannot -- be applied to the unique nature of biometrics data in the humanitarian context.
Read the full blog post here