Shreveport.com - View Single Post - Fingerprint Scans Used By School Kids To Pay For Lunch

geodood · 09-10-2006, 01:41 PM

I think where we draw the line in America has to do with choice. It is one thing to have the choice to have our privacy invaded (on a case by case basis) verses having big brother implant a RFID tag or tattoo at birth with no choice at that point and ever after.

Google operates via choice. The company is not "big brother" but it is big business which sometimes makes me wonder. Google users use its services by choice. Nobody has to use it. But then again, it is hard to go through life without using the google search engine. I'm just afraid that people will volunteer to give up their rights little by little, after all, who ever reads all those privacy statements and terms of service agreements, etc.?

One thing is certain. Biometrics is perfectly acceptable nowadays in business where it is not uncommon for an employee to have his finger or palm scanned before entry into a secure location or before access to a certain computer access level. Would I volunteer to scan my fingerprint to eat lunch? Or that of my child? Probably not. Would I volunteer to have my child’s fingerprint scanned in certain situations to reduce the number of missing children and Amber Alerts? Maybe so, that is a tough one where the benefit is great but is yet another small step towards totalitarianism. In the current atmosphere, I would have no problem having my finger scanned before boarding a jetliner if it would keep the plane safer. Seems like that application would come before the school lunch thing.

09-10-2006, 01:41 PM	#4
geodood Advanced Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 166 Rep Power: 223	I think where we draw the line in America has to do with choice. It is one thing to have the choice to have our privacy invaded (on a case by case basis) verses having big brother implant a RFID tag or tattoo at birth with no choice at that point and ever after. Google operates via choice. The company is not "big brother" but it is big business which sometimes makes me wonder. Google users use its services by choice. Nobody has to use it. But then again, it is hard to go through life without using the google search engine. I'm just afraid that people will volunteer to give up their rights little by little, after all, who ever reads all those privacy statements and terms of service agreements, etc.? One thing is certain. Biometrics is perfectly acceptable nowadays in business where it is not uncommon for an employee to have his finger or palm scanned before entry into a secure location or before access to a certain computer access level. Would I volunteer to scan my fingerprint to eat lunch? Or that of my child? Probably not. Would I volunteer to have my child’s fingerprint scanned in certain situations to reduce the number of missing children and Amber Alerts? Maybe so, that is a tough one where the benefit is great but is yet another small step towards totalitarianism. In the current atmosphere, I would have no problem having my finger scanned before boarding a jetliner if it would keep the plane safer. Seems like that application would come before the school lunch thing.