HIDE: Homeland Security, Biometric Identification and Personal Detection Ethics

Principal Investigator: Emilio Mordini, Center for Science, Society and Citizenship, Rome

Hastings Center Principal InvestigatorsThomas Murray and Karen Maschke

Funder: European Commission

This project established a platform for an international dialogue on controversial ethical and privacy issues raised by personal detection technologies and their applications, such as infrared detectors and thermal imaging, transponders, body scanners, and smart cards. Ethical issues include: What are the tradeoffs between privacy and public security? What are the concerns raised over the exposure of highly personal details from body scans? What are the risks of outsourcing personal information processing and storage? The project organized focus groups, policy forums, and workshops.