Editing Fingerprint (section)

== Use of fingerprints in schools ==
{{Further|Biometrics in schools}}
The [[non-governmental organization]] (NGO) [[Privacy International]] in 2002 made the cautionary announcement that tens of thousands of UK school children were being fingerprinted by schools, often without the knowledge or consent of their parents.<ref name=outcry>[https://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/07/22/fingerprinting_of_uk_school_kids/ Fingerprinting of UK school kids causes outcry] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810092109/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/07/22/fingerprinting_of_uk_school_kids/ |date=August 10, 2017 }}, ''[[The Register]]'', July 22, 2002 {{in lang|en}}</ref> That same year, the supplier [[Micro Librarian Systems]], which uses a technology similar to that used in US prisons and the German military, estimated that 350 schools throughout Britain were using such systems to replace library cards.<ref name="outcry" /> By 2007, it was estimated that 3,500 schools were using such systems.<ref name="BBCchild">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6417565.stm Child fingerprint plan considered] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315090055/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6417565.stm |date=March 15, 2007 }}, ''[[BBC]]'', March 4, 2007 {{in lang|en}}</ref> Under the United Kingdom [[Data Protection Act 1998|Data Protection Act]], schools in the UK do not have to ask parental consent to allow such practices to take place. Parents opposed to fingerprinting may bring only individual complaints against schools.<ref>[https://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/07/kiddyprinting_allowed/ Schools can fingerprint children without parental consent] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810091654/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/07/kiddyprinting_allowed/ |date=August 10, 2017 }}, ''[[The Register]]'', September 7, 2006 {{in lang|en}}</ref> In response to a complaint which they are continuing to pursue, in 2010, the [[European Commission]] expressed 'significant concerns' over the proportionality and necessity of the practice and the lack of judicial redress, indicating that the practice may break the [[European Union]] data protection directive.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/8202076/Europe-tells-Britain-to-justify-itself-over-fingerprinting-children-in-schools.html Europe tells Britain to justify itself over fingerprinting children in schools] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120211410/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/8202076/Europe-tells-Britain-to-justify-itself-over-fingerprinting-children-in-schools.html |date=January 20, 2011 }} Telegraph, published 2010-12-14, accessed January 13, 2011</ref>

In March 2007, the UK government was considering fingerprinting all children aged 11 to 15 and adding the prints to a [[government database]] as part of a new [[passport]] and [[ID card]] scheme and disallowing opposition for privacy concerns. All fingerprints taken would be cross-checked against prints from 900,000 unsolved crimes. Shadow Home secretary [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]] called the plan "sinister". The [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] home affairs spokesman [[Nick Clegg]] criticised "the determination to build a surveillance state behind the backs of the British people".<ref name="BBCchild" /> The UK's junior education minister [[Lord Adonis]] defended the use of fingerprints by schools, to track school attendance as well as access to [[school meal]]s and [[school library|libraries]], and reassured the [[House of Lords]] that the children's fingerprints had been taken with the consent of the parents and would be destroyed once children left the school.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Peers slam school fingerprinting |newspaper=BBC News |date=March 19, 2007 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6468643.stm |access-date=September 2, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070329024206/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6468643.stm |archive-date=March 29, 2007 }}</ref> An [[Early Day Motion]] which called on the UK Government to conduct a full and open consultation with stakeholders about the use of biometrics in schools, secured the support of 85 [[Members of Parliament]] (Early Day Motion 686).<ref>{{cite web |url = http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=32367 |title = EDM 686 – Biometric Data Collection In Schools |date = January 19, 2007 |publisher = [[UK Parliament]] |access-date = November 28, 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070829223049/http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=32367 |archive-date = August 29, 2007 }}</ref> Following the establishment in the United Kingdom of a [[Cameron–Clegg coalition|Conservative and Liberal Democratic coalition government]] in May 2010, the [[UK ID card scheme]] was scrapped.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8707355.stm BBC News Channel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409000651/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8707355.stm |date=April 9, 2022 }}, May 27, 2010.</ref>

Serious concerns about the security implications of using conventional biometric templates in schools have been raised by a number of leading IT security experts,<ref>Cavoukian, A and Stoianov, A. 2007. [http://www.ipc.on.ca/images/Resources/up-1bio_encryp.pdf Biometric Encrypton: A Positive-Sum Technology that Achieves Strong Authentication, Security ''and'' Privacy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614010314/http://www.ipc.on.ca/images/Resources/up-1bio_encryp.pdf |date=June 14, 2007 }}.</ref> one of whom has voiced the opinion that "it is absolutely premature to begin using 'conventional biometrics' in schools".<ref>Kim Cameron, architect of identity and access in the Connected Systems Division at Microsoft. [http://www.identityblog.com/?p=733 blog] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223438/http://www.identityblog.com/?p=733 |date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref> The vendors of biometric systems claim that their products bring benefits to schools such as improved reading skills, decreased wait times in lunch lines and increased revenues.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.findbiometrics.com/press-release/4143 |title=Fingerprint Software Eliminates Privacy Concerns and Establishes Success |publisher=FindBiometrics |access-date=September 14, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314030756/http://www.findbiometrics.com/press-release/4143 |archive-date=March 14, 2009 }}</ref> They do not cite independent research to support this view. One education specialist wrote in 2007: "I have not been able to find a single piece of published research which suggests that the use of biometrics in schools promotes healthy eating or improves reading skills amongst children... There is absolutely no evidence for such claims".<ref>2007. Dr. [[Sandra Leaton Gray]] of [[Homerton College, Cambridge]]: [http://www.leavethemkidsalone.com/expert.htm#fact_00 professional opinion] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070620020827/http://www.leavethemkidsalone.com/expert.htm|date=June 20, 2007}}.</ref>

The [[Ottawa]] Police in Canada have advised parents who fear their children may be kidnapped to fingerprint their children.<ref>[http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/crime_prevention/child_print/index.cfm Child Print] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070502073051/http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/crime_prevention/child_print/index.cfm |date=May 2, 2007 }} (Ottawa Police Service) {{in lang|en|fr}}</ref>