Abu Ahmad, 29, scans his iris at a branch of Cairo Amman Bank in the Jordanian capital. ; Jordan is the first country in the world to use iris scan technology to enable Syrian refugees to access monthly cash assistance provided by UNHCR. The system avoids the need for bank cards and PIN numbers, and has the added benefit of being fraud proof.
In his new article “Facial recognition technology: The need for public regulation and corporate responsibility“, The president and chief legal officer of Microsoft, Brad Smith, calls for government regulation and for the development of norms around acceptable uses around facial recognition technology.
His talk about heighten responsibility for tech companies creating these products, serves as a reminder to UNHCR and humanitarian agencies to develop policies and practices for the use of biometrics that correspond to highest legal standards and moral values.