Another Potential Risk for Biometrics? - Activists

I don't suppose there is ever any vandalism of bank ATM machines unless digging them out with a front end loader and driving off with them is counted as vandalism.

The full range of potential for problems with biometrics is not really known, but we do know that a lot of people don't like the idea of biometrics. Sure there's the issue of false positive, false negatives and not working for everyone, and the theft of biometric data but what about activism?

People are fairly extreme in their views, they either like biometrics or hate it. There's the problem, if anti-biometrics activists target biometric ATM machines what is the potential cost to fix or replace them, and how indestructable are they? I lived on the beachfront for years and eventually the council installed a lot of expensive new parking meters. It wasn't long before they were being damaged and put out of action. I decided to sit on the roof one Saturday night and watch the hoons go by. When they stopped to park I noticed a guy jump out and whack the meter with a hammer. The noise didn't alert me, it just sounded like another noisy night.

The next morning while I walked the dog I took stock and there were a large number of meters damaged. It continued for quite some time to the point where the repair guy was seen as often as the residents. Not particularly inconvenient, I didn't mind my visting friends not having to pay to park, but I didn't like the council rate increase to pay for them. I even heard a rumour that the merchants had organised the meter wrecking because it hurt their businesses when all of a sudden people had to pay to park, didn't like the idea and went elsewhere to shop. That particular beach hasn't ever recovered.

An ATM machine is unlike a parking meter. When a parking meter is broken you can still park and in fact you get a bonus and park for free. 

When the ATM machine is broken your customers can't get any money out and become angry and annoyed customers or someone else's customers.  I suppose it'll be just like the meters, the bank will just keep replacing them until the activists get bored. So long as the cyber crooks don't get in on the act too because it's hurting their 'business'.

The biometric issue is a little different than the parking meters though, especially if the anti-biometric crowd feel that it's the only way to prevent them eventually being forced to participate in a system they don't want. Customers get annoyed when you force them to do anything they don't want to, but I suspect biometrics might end up in a class of it's own.

If customers wanted biometric devices wouldn't they have already been lining up to purchase them, like say the mobile phone?

It's just a thought.