It was perhaps the first real consumer test in the country. Results will be a long time coming, however. Last fall Washington Mutual snapped up Bank United and the iris program has wilted. A spokesman cites cost concerns as the reason WaMu pulled the plug. No DNA Involved Short of DNA testing, iris scans are said to be the most accurate form of identification, though sources say fingerprints are the most likely to gain acceptance because of lower costs.
Fingerprints carry a stigma because of their longtime association with cops booking suspects.
There's no ink involved. But privacy issues abound depending on how such personal information is stored. Privacy advocates are opposed to the creation of a central fingerprint database under corporate control. A less offensive approach would be decentralized. Barry Steinhardt, associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union fears large deposits of personal information being housed in one corporate location, accessible for multiple purposes not the least of which is marketing.