The language of biometrics is unfamiliar to most, even as the technology becomes ubiquitous.
People using biometric data do not necessarily know that it is “biometric data”.
A team of German researchers from the Bundeswehr University of Munich and the University of Duisburg-Essen conducted an online survey covering participants’ general understanding of physiological and behavioral biometrics and their perceived usefulness and security. Key research questions focused on literacy, perception and use, and usability and security.
Do people know what biometrics are?
What value do they see in using them?
What makes systems seem useful and secure?
The results show that although most participants were able to mention examples and claimed to use biometric technologies in their daily lives, they had difficulty with the definitions and description of biometric data. Only about 1/3 of participants gave specific examples of the use of biometrics such as fingerprints, facial recognition, ID cards and signatures.
