The Government has made it clear in today’s budget that it intends to deploy biometric technology at Heathrow and other UK airports.

Bori Toth, who heads up the Deloitte Biometric Research and Advisory team, commented:

Since 2005, Heathrow, Gatwick and a number of other major UK airports already have biometrics, including the use of iris recognition, to speed up passenger travel, although the system is slower and more cumbersome than it could be. Iris-based airport programmes have already been shown to work far more effectively elsewhere, for example the Privium programme at Schiphol airport.

It is clear that if this initiative is to be a success, not only the choice of technology but the choice of device is absolutely paramount.

Data sharing and privacy issues
There is an issue around the way data is stored when using Iris-based systems. It uses a central database which brings up potential data sharing and privacy issues. Storage on smart cards (like Privium uses) brings up the problem of duplicates - the biggest power of biometrics is that they bind people to identity records which can help to prevent the enrolment of multiple identities. However this is only possible with a centralised biometric database.

Data sharing enables more powerful systems
Biometrically enabled travelling becomes really powerful if both airports (when travelling to/from) are participating in the same scheme. This means that the most powerful initiatives should be international, even though this results in further data sharing and privacy issues. Point solutions won't make a revolution in this space as there are a couple of biometric traveller programmes out there but none of which are compatible with each other. Biometrics need to move to the next level.

About Deloitte
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