Fingerprint scanning time clocks raise work privacy issues

More and more employers are embracing finger scanning technology, a report by Tempo-Team recruitment agency suggests. Deployment of such scan systems allows employers to more precisely track departure and arrival times of their employees, but not without a downside. An arriving employee holds their finger on a lock, creating a record of their entrance into the office. For employers, it is a significant advancement in comparison to manually kept logs and even ID cards. However, several organisations voice concerns over potential privacy issue that may arise. “You are forcing people to store biometric data", Robert Boekhorstraat of the Van Bethem en Keulen law firm told Z24. "Soon enough, it may develop into storing more sensitive personal information, which is prohibited in principle”. Finger scan is a technology already supported by newer generations of smartphones and laptops. Accessibility of the technology has motivated several companies to use scanning as an authentication method in their mobile applications, including Dutch bank ING, which is using the fingerprint for login security in its internet-banking app.