FIPA joins campaign against international biometric identification

FIPA has joined with more than 30 other civil liberties groups in sending an open letter to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) asking it to cease development of a biometric national database standard for biometric passports.

Privacy International, which organized the letter, is worried that international agreement on such a standard will pressure governments to jump aboard the worldwide surveillance bandwagon and lead to an increase in the sharing of personal information across borders, including such data as face-scans and fingerprints. It could also pressure countries to adopt national ID systems that are very unpopular with citizens in most democracies.

Privacy International is continuing to accept endorsements for what is hoped will be a powerful international movement.

For background information on the initiative and the problems with biometric passports, see: http://www.privacyinternational.org

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