• silicon.com
• Management
• CIO Insights

By silicon.com, 29 July 2004 15:25

US immigration plans to biometrically register every visitor to the country have this week been openly panned by Privacy International, which awarded the scheme the top prize at its Big Brother awards.

It was the first time Privacy International has broken with its tradition of UK organisations, schemes or individuals scooping the Lifetime Menace Award - a fact that alludes to how seriously the group rates the threat.

One of the main complaints was that the scheme did not acknowledge the 'special relationship' between the UK and the US forged by George W Bush and his obedient chum Tony Blair.

While this may be taken as a call for preferential treatment for Britons ahead of other non-US citizens by Privacy International, the unparalleled suspicion being aimed in all directions is undoubtedly a cause for concern - not least because such sweeping change is in the hands of a nation that time and again has seriously failed where matters of security and intelligence are concerned.

Then there is the question of what the information will be used for and how exactly it will cut terrorism. Many critics are quick to point out that biometrics would have done little to prevent the 11 September, 2001, attacks, while publicised schemes such as US VISIT do little to ease the destructive fear-of-the-unknown mentality gripping much of America.

However, the bottom line is that there is little the likes of Privacy International can do to sway the US government when even our own government appears loathe to speak out of turn against its greatest and most bullying ally.

So what it will boil down to is whether people are prepared to vote with their feet and their Air Miles. Will such a scheme stop people travelling to the US - and will the US really care? Of course it won't.

As visa-carrying members of the UK press, many silicon.com staff have already been forced to take part in the biometric entry system at US immigration. As people working within the technology industry, we're also aware that visits to the States go with the territory. For many, signing up to the scheme will be essential.

But that doesn't mean it will be popular.