Iowa may make fingerprints legal in schools again
28 January, 2008
category: Biometrics, Education, Transit
In 2005 Iowa legislators passed a law forbidding the use of fingerprint scanners in schools. The biometrics technology was being used in lunch lines, for library checkout and bus boarding. There were fears that the information wasn’t secure and could be hacked.
But the Iowa Department of Education wants lawmakers to pass new legislation making it legal for schools to use the biometrics technology. Schools would be able to save money if they didn’t have to print out different cards for lunch, library and other activities.
Department of Education officials want to educate legislators on what biometric technology is and how it can and can’t be used. “There’s been some misconceptions in the industry: What if that fingerprint is stolen from the system?” Ali Pabrai, the chief executive officer of Ecfirst.com, a West Des Moines-based biometrics consulting company. “What’s stored is not the actual fingerprint but certain data points.”
Read the full story here.