Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Quicklinks:What is biometric freedom?
What is biometric discrimination?
What is the aim of this website?
Are you anti-biometric?
What is biometric surveillance?
If I choose to provide biometrics, do I lose my right to biometric freedom?
What is biometric freedom?
Biometric freedom is an individuals right to control the storage and use of their biometric data and DNA. No government, private company or institution should seek to gain an individuals biometrics or DNA by force, coersion, deceit, exclusion, or denial of public or private service.
An individual loses their right to biometric freedom if they are guilty of a serious crime, e.g. murder, rape, child abuse.
What is biometric discrimination?
Biometric discrimination occurs when an indivdual who exercises their right not to provide biometrics and/or DNA is denied equal rights to an indivual who chooses to provide this data.
What is the aim of this website?
In the simplest terms: don't buy products or services from companies on this list. When you are out shopping you can access biometricfreedom.com (bmfree.co.uk) through your mobile phone or PDA.
In 2005 I created www.idcardandyou.co.uk in response to the UK Identity Card Bill which outlined the Labour governments plans to introduce compulsory biometric identification and surveillance for the UK population. My objection to these plans has always been the compulsory recording of my biometric data, which I find deeply offensive, and the subsequent loss of control of this data if stored on a government database. Statistics for the site showed that the majority of visitors shared similar concerns; with the two largest search catagories being biometrics and the recording of children's biometric data.
I decided to create this website to expose those companies bidding for contracts under compulsory biometric identification schemes, e.g. the UK national identity card. This helps you as a consumer to boycott their products, especially as several of these companies sell every-day consumer electronics.
In March 2008, an ICM poll showed that 25% of the UK population were strongly opposed to the biometric identity card. If 25% of the UK population boycotted BT this would send a strong message to these companies that we are not prepared to financially support them whilst they continue in their efforts to violate our biometric freedom and privacy.
Are you anti-biometric?
No, biometric freedom is pro-choice. It is the right of any indiviual to choose how their biometric data is used.
What is biometric surveillance?
Biometric surveillance is the monitoring of a private individuals movements through the routine checking of their biometric data, examples are:
- using biometric recognition CCTV cameras in public places, e.g. facial recognition CCTV
- routine scanning of finger biometrics by police and security agencies
- the logging of instances when an individuals biometrics are verified against a central biometric database
No. Biometric freedom entitles you to control the usage of your data at all times. You may exercise your right to have your biometrics removed from a database at any time. You do not have this right if you are found guilty of a serious crime. e.g. murder, rape.