Apple fingerprint tech raises 'privacy questions'

[Simon]

A senior US senator believes the fingerprint recognition technology featured in Apple's new iPhone 5S raises "substantial privacy questions".

Senator Al Franken, chairman of the influential Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, has written to Apple boss Tim Cook explaining his security concerns.

After stealing someone's thumbprint, hackers could "impersonate you for the rest of your life," he wrote.

Apple has yet to comment on the letter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24177851

[colirv]

I liked this  ...

[Simon]

It did cross my mind when it was first announced.  Also, aside from privacy issues, I can see it being somewhat unreliable, and lots of people getting locked out of their phones. 

[pctech]

I did once hear of an unavoury story of a businessman in Singapore who decided to have fingerprint recognition added to his Mercedes S-Class so that in theory at least, only he could start the car.

Apparently thieves simply held a knife to his throat, chopped the finger off and started the car with it and drove the car to a garage to have the security device removed.

[Technical Ben]

It checks to see if the thumb is alive first. So at least that is helpful. But this comes to mind.
http://xkcd.com/538/

[pctech]