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Congressional Research Service
Informing the legislative debate since 1914
0
March 8, 2021
Biometric Technologies and Global Security
Biometric technologies use unique biological or behavioral
attributes-such as DNA, fingerprints, cardiac signatures,
voice or gait patterns, and facial or ocular measurements-
to authenticate an individual's identity. Although biometric
technologies have been in use for decades, recent advances
in artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data analytics have
expanded their application. As these technologies continue
to mature and proliferate, largely driven by advances in the
commercial sector, they will likely hold growing
implications for congressional oversight, civil liberties, U.S.
defense authorizations and appropriations, military and
intelligence concepts of operations, and the future of war.
How are biometric technologies being
used today?
Biometric technologies are currently used for a number of
congressionally authorized or mandated security
applications throughout the U.S. government. For example,
the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001 (P.L.
107-71) granted the Transportation Security Administration
the authority to employ biometrics for passenger screening
and airport access control. Similarly, the Intelligence
Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-
458) required the Department of Homeland Security to
operate a biometric entry and exit data system to verify the
identity of foreign nationals seeking to enter or exit the
United States. These applications are intended to expedite
screening processes and reduce human error rates.
Biometric technologies are also used by law enforcement
agencies, such as the Secret Service and Federal Bureau of
Investigation, to assist in the investigation of crimes and to
identify missing persons and persons of interest. In
addition, the Department of Defense (DOD) has used
biometric technologies to identify, target, and disrupt
enemy combatants and terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan, and
elsewhere. According to the Government Accountability
Office, between 2008 and 2017, DOD used biometric
technologies to capture or kill 1,700 individuals and deny
92,000 individuals access to military bases. DOD
Directive 8521.01E establishes DOD policy and
bureaucratic responsibilities for biometric technologies.
How could bioretric technologies be
used in the future?
DOD is exploring a range of emerging biometric
technologies and biometric applications, including AI
techniques that could identify individuals in low-light or
otherwise obscured conditions and laser techniques that
could identify individuals at distances of around 200
meters. Such techniques could be employed in covert and
clandestine operations without an individual's knowledge
or consent.
In the future, biometric technologies could be integrated
into lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS), or
weapons capable of selecting and engaging targets without
the need for manual human control or remote operation.
Such weapons could potentially feature a database
containing the biometric identifiers of preapproved human
targets; the weapons could then use the database to
autonomously locate, select, and engage human targets in
communications-degraded or -denied environments where
traditional systems may not be able to operate.
Some analysts have argued that this technology application
could increase precision in targeting, and thus improve
adherence to international humanitarian law (e.g., avoid
killing civilians), while others have argued that it is
inherently unethical and could violate international
humanitarian law. The United States does not currently
possess and is not currently developing LAWS; however,
there is no prohibition on their development or the
incorporation of biometric technologies into autonomous
weapon systems. Weapons manufacturers in both China and
Russia have stated that they are developing these systems,
which could include biometric features.
Biometric technologies could also be integrated into
localized or national data collection and surveillance
networks. For example, as Center for Security and
Emerging Technology analyst Dahlia Peterson has noted,
[Chinese] officials maintain national DNA databases and
extensive video surveillance networks-augmented by AI-
enabled voice and facial recognition technology-to
monitor and track individuals within China. These systems
could continue to be linked and supplemented with private
information such as medical, travel, and purchase history.
Although the Chinese government claims that these
biometric applications contribute to predictive policing and
public safety, some analysts have argued that they provide a
means of imposing censorship and social control and could
enable human rights violations. Reports indicate that China
has employed biometric surveillance to monitor ethnic
minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and
facilitate their detention and internment in re-education
centers. (Some analysts note that China's application of
biometric surveillance systems has not been uniform
throughout China, and thus the Xinjiang model is not
necessarily representative of China's national plans.
Regardless, this model could be deployed nationally in
other countries.)
Biometric surveillance systems also could hold implications
for traditional military and intelligence operations.
According to former CIA Deputy Director for Science and
Technology Dawn Meyerriecks, around 30 countries have
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