Biometric information sharing conference highlights public/private partnerships | 12.07.2006 | 05:24:06 | Views: 4973 | ID: December 7 '06: Representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, their European counterparts, IT vendors, domestic and international privacy advocates gathered in Washington DC recently to discuss the uses and implications of biometric information collection, Washington Technology reported. Among some of the topics discussed; attendees considered the ramifications of using highly personal and sensitive information in the name of homeland security and counterterrorism measures. Addressed were, "The public's concern that biometric information gathered for identification purposes could also reveal other information, such as when DNA sample(s) might suggest that a person or their children could be especially vulnerable to a health problem. ... [And] concerns the public might have about the expansion of the categories of uses for personal information," WashTech reported. Speaking at the event was Stewart Baker, the assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Homeland Security. Baker stressed the importance of information sharing and the elimination of bureaucratic walls limiting government agencies to talk to one another. "There was a time when we were enthralled with [establishing] limits on who has data," however, now, he said, measures are necessary to help disseminate information.
Copyright ©2007 TheBreakingNews.com. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction in part or full without prior written permission.
|