By James Eaton-Lee and Elizabeth Shaughnessy The collection and processing of biometric data – data which is linked to the human body or its behaviour – such as fingerprints or facial recognition – has become significantly more common in humanitarian contexts worldwide in the last five years. Few donors or large INGOs have not had a position on biometric data or had some experience rolling this out. But this …
Technology in humanitarian programming: agility vs standardisation
Laura Eldon and Anna Kondakhchyan reflect on how new technologies are used in humanitarian work, and share learning from Oxfam’s experiences. Here at Oxfam, we are passionate about the potential for new technologies to support the delivery of high quality field activities. Crucially, we believe in taking a ‘responsible’ approach to the use of Information Communication Technologies (or ICTs). Essentially …
Questioning the use of biometric technology in humanitarian response
Anna Kondakhchyan shares the findings of new research, Biometrics in the Humanitarian Sector, which looks into the benefits and risks of using biometric technology to register people to receive humanitarian aid. How would you feel if refusal to submit your biometric data meant you were excluded from the provision of humanitarian assistance? Biometrics, the measurement of human characteristics through technology such …
How many identities does a person need to receive aid?
By working together to share data with other NGOs we can be more effective at getting aid to those who need it, and provide greater data privacy and security for individuals. Just as our digital identities are changing so are those of crisis-affected people the world over. Many of us increasingly use facial recognition or finger print scanners to unlock …
To use or not to use biometrics? Help us answer the question
Biometric technologies such as iris scanning, fingerprint or facial recognition, have opened up exciting new possibilities for humanitarian aid delivery, but the potential risks are high. That’s why Oxfam is looking for a consultant to conduct research into the safe use of biometrics in humanitarian response: is this an area you are working in? Imagine if you had lost everything …