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Mexican City to Use Citywide Iris Scanners to Track Criminals, Terrify Everyone Else

by Amar Toor on August 20, 2010 at 05:42 PM

automated border control
Like something out of a futuristic Roberto Bolaño novel, city officials in Leon, Mexico are currently putting together a citywide database of its citizens' irises. They plan on using the system to keep track of known criminal offenders -- and, presumably, every other person in the city. Biometrics R&D firm Global Rainmakers has already begun shipping iris scanners to the city of more than one million, where they'll first be placed at security check-points, police stations and detention areas. Over the course of the next three years, the scanners will begin appearing in more frequented public or private areas of the city, including mass transit stations, medical centers and banks. In theory, then, citizens will eventually be able to identify themselves at liquor stores or shopping malls with only their eyeballs.

The only slightly non-horrific aspect of this program, however, is that law-abiding citizens aren't actually required to enter their irises into the database. At this point, only proven criminals are mandated to submit their biometric information, although city officials are optimistic that everyone else will eventually choose to "opt in" to the program. "There's a lot of convenience to this -- you'll have nothing to carry except your eyes," Global Rainmakers CEO Carter exclaimed to Fast Company. "When you get masses of people opting-in, opting out does not help. Opting out actually puts more of a flag on you than just being part of the system. We believe everyone will opt-in." Translation: everyone will opt in because this Big Brother will scare them into opting in.

Tags: BigBrother, biometric, biometrics, BiometricSecurity, crime, criminal, iris, IrisScanner, Mexico, privacy, Privacy Policy, PrivacyIssues, PrivacyPolicy, PrivacyRights, RobertoBolano, top

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