The following has been received from Dr. Emilio Mordini, who, as leader of the BITE project, is far ahead of most in attempting to focus attention on the need to understand and develop meaningful and enforceable privacy and ethical standards that ought be implemented with regard to identity management.

I urge you to familiarize yourself with what BITE is doing and to participate in the survey (Public Consultation) that BITE has launched, as described in Dr. Mordini's letter. I also suggest that you assist in circulating this notice to those of your associates and colleagues who may be willing to voice their views on these important subjects. Please note that participation can be anonymous.

If you feel that any part of the survey is ambiguous or not otherwise clear or should include additional inquiries, I suggest you communicate your views to Dr. Mordini, who will be happy to hear them (e.mordini@bioethics.it). Part of the process of creating and implementing standards relates to adequacy of the methods by which fact and opinion are gathered. The problem is compounded in a multi-lingual, multi-cultural and often conflicted environment.

Henry J. Boitel
Biometric Bits - The Key to Identity Management Information
==========================================

Biometric Identification Technology Ethics (BITE)
BITE LOGO.jpg

You are invited to participate in an international Web-based Public Consultation launched by the BITE Project.

BITE is a 2 year research project funded by the European Commission – Science and Society in the scope of the FP6. BITE promotes research and public debate on ethical implications of biometric identification technologies. In 2005 BITE convened various workshops and issued some reports (see www.biteproject.org ). Building on this, the BITE project has started today to launch a wide public debate.

BITE aims to assist the European Commission to define globally-accepted standards and practices with regard to ethical principles when applying biometrics in various contexts. However little is known about how people affected by biometrics at diverse levels (scholars, engineers, policy makers, law enforcement agencies, international bodies, etc.) conceptualise ethical, social and political challenges associated with this emerging technology.

To consult your views, we would like to invite you to complete an on-line PUBLIC CONSULTATION. Please note that this consultation will be open until 13 June 2006. To access it, please link up to the following address:
http://www.biteproject.org/public_consultation.asp

The survey may be filled in anonymously and should only take around 15 minutes of your time. It consists of some sections and you will be guided automatically by answering the questions. The access is made through a non-encrypted connection using the normal http protocol. Your replies will
be recorded in a secured and protected database hosted by the server of the Centre for Science, Society and Citizenship.

We hope that you will have no problem filling in the questionnaire and submitting it.

Of course you can always contact us, in case of any problem or question (email Corinna Ottolini, c.ottolini@bioethics.it)

We will publish the main results on the BITE website at the latest by the end of 2006. We will inform you in due time when this occurs.

With thanks in advance for your co-operation,

Yours faithfully,

Emilio Mordini



************************************************** **************
Emilio Mordini, MD, DPhil
Director of the Centre for Science, Society and Citizenship -
www.bioethics.it
Coordinator of the BITE project - www.biteproject.org
Via Sistina 37 - 00187 Rome - Italy
Phone: +39 064740144 - Fax: +39 06 97840359 - Mobile: +39 348 6549759

THE FIRST WORLD WEB-BASED PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON BIOMETRICS HAS BEEN LAUNCHED BY AN INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM SPONSORED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION With biometrics affecting every European citizen, the social and political dimension of biometric technology is becoming critical. As the war on terror increasingly comes to rely on biometric technology Western governments are drawing up plans for sophisticated biometric databases which would allow them to share sensitive information. By 2014, the European homeland security technologies market, comprising biometrics - the use of physical characteristics unique to individuals such as iris pattern, DNA and fingerprints to verify identify - is set to amass nearly EUR 874.0 million (data from Friso Buker, http://defense.frost.com ). This trend is raising a serious concern in the public opinion. In order to address this concern, the BITE Project – BIOMETRICS IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGY ETHICS (www.biteproject.org) a panEuropean research project funded by the European Commission in the scope of the FP6 and coordinated by Prof. Emilio Mordini, director of the Rome based Centre for Science, Society and Citizenship – launches a Web-based Public Consultation on ethics of biometrics. In the next months, the European Court of Justice is expected to annul or to confirm the European Council’s agreement between the European Community and the United States on the transfer of data from Passenger Name Records by airlines established in the territory of Community Member States to the United States Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, these data include biometric data retained in electronic passports. BITE’s public consultation aims to involve European citizens, the wider biometric community and European decisions makers in a public debate on ethical, social and political challenges associated with biometrics in order to assist the European Commission to define globally-accepted standards when applying biometrics. To participate in the Public Consultation link up to the following address: http://www.biteproject.org/public_consultation.asp . Press may also contact Ms Corinna Ottolini, c.ottolini@bioethics.it for further details.
Rome, 21.03.06