Is Big Brother Watching Us Too Closely??

In our world of growing technology and constant change, there is always something new and available to the public to make their lives easier and daily tasks more convenient. People live and thrive off the fact that the world is literally at their fingertips via cellular devices, computers, and other technologically advanced devices.

People debate the fact of whether or not Big Brother is watching us too closely through advances in technology. I believe that the government is not trying to tap into our security and privacy, but that they understand the importance of the public’s safety and accessibility. The government’s advances in biometric technology is a way of protecting people’s privacy and their information from fraudulent individuals and also allows easy access to us; the people.

With biometric authentication, fraud is less likely to occur between citizens of our world. Nobody can steal our fingerprints; at least not as easily as picking out pockets or purses for our wallets. Let’s be honest, how much information can be pulled from your wallet? Not only is you cash included in a robbery, but also your credit cards, banking information, identification, and possible personal valuables. With the advances in technology, the government is obviously looking out for the safety of the public. Think of the advantages of not having to wear a purse or carry a wallet around! In the advancements, the need to carry cash or credit cards will become obsolete. Identification will be carried right on you, without having to pack anything else around. With the press of your fingertip or scan of your eye, identification can be linked to banking accounts, personal information, and background checks.

“Since September 11, 2001, there has been a great deal of interest in using biometrics for verification of identity. ¹ The interest is particularly acute in the areas of visa and immigration documentation and government-issued identification card programs.² Unlike typical identification methods, which require a person to have something -- an identification card, a personal identification number (PIN), or password -- biometric information is part of a person. Since biometrics are so closely bound to a person, they are thought to be more reliable and not easily forgotten, lost, stolen, falsified, or guessed. This is because a biometric identifier relies on unique biological information about a person. This might be, for example, a 3-D image of the individual's hand, a scan of the person's iris, a fingerprint, or a voice print.” http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2004/06/biometric-technologies-security-legal-and-policy-implications

The advantages to biometric devices are innumerable. Some individuals will have a difficult time adapting to the new ideas of biometric authentication because of security reason and because of the “unknown.” With the obvious advancements in the improved technology, I believe it is safe to say that Big Brother is NOT watching too closely, the government is merely trying to improve our daily lives.