Frequently Asked Questions &
Common Myth around Biometrics

1. What do I need to consider before introducing biometrics?
    
2. What are biometrics? 
    
3. Where can biometrics be used? 
    
4. Where are biometric technologies currently deployed? 
    
5. Are biometrics a threat to privacy?  
    
6. Is theft of a biometric possible?
    
7. Are biometrics a threat to your health?
   
   • Can you tell the state of my health from the iris?
   • Will my eye be damaged from an iris scan?
   • Don’t I have to enrol multiple times?
   • Does eye surgery change the iris?
   • Is there a health risk with using finger scanners?
      
8. Do fingerprints change when you get older?
    
9. Are biometrics new and unsafe?
    
10. Is a biometrics systems any good if it is not 100% accurate?
     
11. Are biometric systems very costly?
     
12. Will biometrics be a panacea in preventing terrorist activity?
     
13. Is template data encrypted data?
     
14. How can function creep (biometric was used for a different purposed than what it was collected for) be prevented?
     
15. What needs to be considered when you enrol your biometric?
     
16. Is a Photo a Biometric?
     
17. What biometric information do I need for visa applications as a New Zealander or Australian, i.e. for the UK?

Last updated: June 2010