Concerns about the biometric technology, data management
and costs associated with the government's proposed national
identity card scheme have been raised by the BCS.
The society told the Commons Home Affairs Committee inquiry into ID
cards that it was sceptical about whether biometrics could prevent
identity fraud and warned of the possibility of duplicated
biometric information.
"Iris and fingerprint scans are not necessarily unique for each
individual, with almost 100 cases of naturally duplicated
identifiers existing in the UK," said BCS external relations
director Mike Rodd.
This duplicated personal biometric data raised another
technological issue for a national ID card scheme, explained Rodd.
"The time taken to check databases of the size contemplated for
incidences of duplicated data must be evaluated. If these checks
cannot be implemented immediately, it is unlikely the identity
cards proposed will have a long-term impact on the incidence of
identity fraud."
Other concerns about the reliability of biometrics, and the
likelihood that determined criminals would soon find ways to beat
them, have been raised by fraud experts and by the Association for
Payment Clearing Services, which represents banks and building
societies.
The BCS also has concerns over data management issues. Creating the
proposed national identity register to support the identity card
scheme would be "a vast undertaking", it said. It would be
time-consuming, costly and a considerable technological and project
management challenge, the society said.
"The smooth running of the ID card scheme will rely on the accuracy
of the data recorded in the national identity register," the
society told the Commons inquiry.
"It is not yet known what information will be held, although it has
been suggested that information such as passport number and
national insurance details will be included.
"The BCS suggests that a comprehensive list of data to be held in
the register should be agreed before any costly data collection
exercise starts, to prevent cost overruns.
"Questions concerning the management of the data remain unanswered:
for example, how will the personal information about each
individual be checked, and how will such processes prevent
fraudulent applications being made?"
The government has already been warned - by information
commissioner Richard Thomas - that the accuracy of the 67.5 million
records in the national register database would be "fundamental".
He said last year that the accuracy would have to reach "at least
the gold standard" of the UK Passport Service.
As a first step towards a biometric identity card, the UK Passport
Service is launching a trial of facial, iris and fingerprint
recording and recognition this month, with 10,000 volunteers. The
aim is to determine which technology is least invasive, how the
methods work on a large scale, whether people will accept them, and
what the practical problems of running a biometric database are.