iPhone’s Fingerprint ID Technology May Threaten Privacy
September 24th, 2013
Apple’s iPhone is one of the most popular smartphones in the world. Millions of people use the device to surf the web on the go, to perform an ever-expanding array of functions via third-party applications, and to communicate with family, friends, and coworkers. Since most people use their smartphones much like a second brain, iPhones are often packed with highly-sensitive information about their owners.
Apple just announced a new feature whereby users can lock and unlock their phones using fingerprint-scanning technology. While this may seem highly secure at a glance, a closer investigation reveals some serious flaws with this approach to data protection. A Wired editorial notes that biometric fingerprint scanners, by nature, do not enjoy the same Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination that memorized passwords do. Also, imagine the havoc that a hacker could wreak after stealing a user’s virtually unchangeable biometric data. Germany’s Chaos Computer Club just hacked the iPhone‘s fingerprint sensor. Check out Judge Napolitano’s opinion on the technology below, and let’s discuss the finer details of the issue after the break.
Pleading the Fifth
Governments have been trying to gain access to citizens’ biometric data for quite some time. Given the fact that the National Security Agency routinely spies on Americans’ cell phones, it’s safe to say that any data entered into an iPhone could be vulnerable to government snooping. However, fingerprint encryption may, by nature, go further in that it could self-incriminate an iPhone’s owner during a criminal investigation.
Courts have held that the government can compel a suspect (given probable cause or a warrant) to provide a fingerprint for identification purposes. However, if a person is asked to provide a password from memory, the suspect could plead the Fifth and refuse to answer. As such, fingerprint scanners are less secure when it comes to protecting citizens from government snooping and self-incrimination. There are countless laws criminalizing victimless activity, so bureaucrats could easily find reasons to criminally charge just about anyone after spending a few hours picking through that person’s cell phone.
Hack Attack
Hackers can be quite resourceful when it comes to breaking through security features and stealing private data. Fingerprints can’t be easily changed. It would be disastrous if a person’s biometric records were swiped by someone with ill intent.
Security features are supposed to protect a user’s private data. Passwords are sometimes stolen and can be changed by the user. Fingerprints are themselves pieces of private data, so it makes little sense that they would be used as credentials for accessing a smartphone.
Innovation in pursuit of security is important, and the iPhone itself has done wonders for humanity. However, users may want to opt out of this new feature, as it represents a significant threat to privacy, especially in an era in which the NSA has already been caught snooping on Americans’ cell phones.
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