Thoughts on Children's Fingerprints for GE/Nexus
Sep 14, 2018, 5:20 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 182
This is a pretty interesting topic because it shows how times change. When my children were young (okay it was a few decades ago) the push was to get children's fingerprints on file as a safety and identification measure. The idea was that if your child went missing, having those fingerprints on file would make identification much easier. The police and local pre-schools set up "finger-printing clinics." No one worried about child privacy. They were worried about child safety.
Sep 15, 2018, 10:56 am
#17
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: ONT/FRA
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 878
I submitted my fingerprints to the FBI at age 11 in order to get a Fingerprinting Merit Badge from the Boy Scouts. I’ve given them since for a Concealed Handgun Permit, for GE, and for a Permanent Residence Card in Germany. Black helicopters have never circled my house.
Sep 16, 2018, 8:19 pm
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: WestJet Platinum, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 93
This is a pretty interesting topic because it shows how times change. When my children were young (okay it was a few decades ago) the push was to get children's fingerprints on file as a safety and identification measure. The idea was that if your child went missing, having those fingerprints on file would make identification much easier. The police and local pre-schools set up "finger-printing clinics." No one worried about child privacy. They were worried about child safety.
It’s interesting to see how different it is in the US. I didn’t realize there were so many different scenarios down there that used fingerprints.
As for the poster that asked about the iris scanning in Canada, we only do iris scans for Nexus entry. When I return home to Canada with my children we go through the regular passport line (since my kids don’t have Nexus yet). So, no iris scan done.
Sep 24, 2018, 12:29 pm
#19
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: BOS and vicinity
Programs: Former UA 1P
Posts: 3,725
From Wikipedia:
20 possible matches for one of the fingerprints were found in the FBI database and one of the possible matches was Brandon Mayfield. His prints were in the FBI database as they were taken as part of standard procedure when he joined the military.
. . .
The FBI described the fingerprint match as "100% verified".
. . .
Based on that list of people with "similar prints" the FBI launched an extensive investigation of all 20 individuals using letters of national security. The investigation included medical records, financial records, employment records, etc. on all 20 people and their families.
. . .
The FBI described the fingerprint match as "100% verified".
. . .
Based on that list of people with "similar prints" the FBI launched an extensive investigation of all 20 individuals using letters of national security. The investigation included medical records, financial records, employment records, etc. on all 20 people and their families.
I myself only consented to have my kid fingerprinted for use in the event of a potential abduction by an organization that collected the prints and gave the only copy to the parents. If my kid got abducted, I would be happy to give the prints to the cops. Otherwise, it's not worth the present or future risk to him.
DNA is even worse (23-and-me, etc.). You are subjecting not only yourself and your kids but your siblings, parents, and even cousins to this risk.