One of the happiest places on Earth is increasing their security by scanning fingerprint information as a part of securing access to the parks. They have used finger geometry (biometrics) information for years in order to prevent the resale or fraud associated with their attraction tickets, but they were just using the shape of your finger as opposed to your fingerprint itself.
By the end of this month, however, all of their geometry readers will be replaced with fingerprint scanners. A spokesperson for the Orlando Walt Disney World parks has identified this as a technology upgrade. It’s important to understand that the original geometry scanners measured the shape and size of the finger. The new scanners will image a series of points on the finger and then measure the distance between them and finally assign it a numerical value.
It’s not a straight fingerprint per se and according to Disney, the information is not used in order to violate theme park goers privacy but as an effort to continue to secure the parks which receive tens of millions of visitors for years. It’s also important to remember that Walt Disney World is the largest commercial application of biometric technology for security. Similar biometric policies were implemented after September 11, 2001 by the initiatives to help a plan for Passenger Protection and Identity Verification in airports.
Disney may be the trailblazer in implementing more technology to heighten the security of their multi-day passes, but many other theme parks are beginning to use similar methods including biometrics. Do I worry that the data they are collecting could be used against us? I can understand the concerns, because whenever personal information is gathered – especially in an age of identity theft and terrorism – there may be a chance that the information will be used against them and while there are those that feel Disney collects a great deal of information just to go on some rides – they need to remember that Walt Disney World is very much a symbol in our country.
It’s billed as the happiest place on Earth and like many other large potential targets; it was evacuated on September 11th. Increased security and protection at the parks is something I’d willing exchange my fingerprint for – it’s no different than the banks that want your fingerprint to prove that you cashed a check and background checks that may require your finger prints to check the national criminal database and Disney is hardly doing that.
Does it bother you to think that Disney is going to use a finger scanner that identifies the various points on your fingerprint and assign it a numerical equivalent to secure their tickets and access to their parks in Orlando?
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