Social acceptance of biometric technologies in Germany: A survey

Abstract

Since the past decade biometric technologies are field-proven, facilitating reliable and secure access control. Numerous successful deployments on large-scale systems, e.g. airports, confirm the feasibility of biometric recognition. However, applications of biometric systems involve privacy concerns, i.e. debates on social and ethical acceptance of biometrics reached levels never previously witnessed. In this work a comprehensive questionnaire regarding social acceptance of biometric technologies in Germany is presented. Results are obtained from a total number of 140 respondents, allowing a representative analysis of citizens' attitudes towards biometric technologies. Relevant questions are put into view and perceptions of German citizens regarding the rise of biometric technologies are discussed in detail and interesting conclusions are drawn.