Leeds STV
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Biometrics implemented at Scottish schools, causes concerns

Nine schools in Scotland started using facial recognition during checkout in school canteens on Monday. The method should speed up the checkout, but critics are worried.

The new method should allow students to pay within five seconds during their lunch break. Previously, pin codes and fingerprint scanners were used as identity checks in canteens, but facial recognition would be faster and prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the schools say.

Some parents do not agree with the new method. In some cases the pupils would not have been fully informed and there would have been peer pressure.

Critics also express their concerns about the introduction. Fraser Simpson, the British government’s biometrics commissioner, is responsible for overseeing the use of facial recognition and other forms of biometric identity verification. He states that other methods should always be used if this is possible.

Civil rights organisation Big Brother Watch also argues against the introduction of facial recognition. The organization argues to the newspaper that technology is being normalized, which would be a bad thing.

The school Dome in which the nine schools have united indicates that 97% of pupils agree with the introduction of the new method of payment in canteens.

“Students often forget their PIN code. And unfortunately, some have also become victims of PIN code fraud, so they support the planned developments and appreciate the benefits for them.”


Brian O'Neil

Brian O'Neil is the founder and chief editor. He was a journalist in the original LS TV before it closed in 2017.

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