“Give me back my face and voice”: how I gave up biometrics

I’m sorry, I’m late. Crowds of queues of those who do not want their image and voice sample to be stored in the Unified Biometric System (UBS) besieged the MFC at the end of summer. And already on October 1, 2023, this information was mandatory transferred to the EBS from the banks. True, in accordance with the law adopted at the end of last year: any citizen can still voluntarily refuse such a transfer, but for this he must write a corresponding statement. If you don’t write it, the information goes into general storage. And it doesn’t matter whether I was lazy, forgot or didn’t know at all…

Ignorance of the law, as is known, does not exempt one from responsibility. For example, I forgot that this would happen. Because at first they said that a revocation of the storage of biometric data can be done until September 1. Then – until October 1. In general, having decided that nothing would change until the New Year, I woke up only on the tenth day of November. Also, to be honest, I was sure that there was no biometric information about me anywhere. Where? Since I didn’t provide them to any bank.

Having seen on government services that “they married me without me,” and my simplified data (face and voice) were already somewhere in the electronic storerooms, I was indignant: how is that possible?

When, when transferring money above a certain limit, the banking algorithm for some reason did not want to do this and persistently invited me to go through voice biometrics over the phone to confirm my identity, I always refused. So where does the financial institution get my data? And why did the bank dispose of them in such a personal way?

“If you have ever taken out a loan, then, as you know, banks take snapshots for the contract. The client is usually told: “Please look through the camera peephole.” This information was transmitted,” explains lawyer Jamilya Adzhieva, project manager of the Center for Analysis of Socio-Political Communications.

– So did I allow it?

— Have you thoroughly read all the details of the banking agreement, user agreement and consent to the processing of banking data, which you yourself voluntarily transferred to the bank? – the expert asks again.

Of course I didn’t read it. Unfortunately, I know how Russians’ databases and their personal information are protected. And no assurances that this time everything will be different, that, having received our votes and a photograph of our faces, they will not leak from the Unified Biometric System anywhere, do not reassure me.

Who should you file a claim with if, without his knowledge, a person, for example, is sold an apartment over the phone or is given a huge bank loan? Where can you prove later that it was not you who gave such permission over the phone? It’s your voice. And your face.

Expert Jamilya Adzhieva recalls with a smile a story when a girl, in order to remove the block from her husband’s phone, brought the smartphone to his face while he was sleeping. And that’s it – access is open.

We were promised that after providing biometric data we would be able to remotely receive some services, for example, issue an electronic signature. Over time, the list of “goodies” will expand, but to do this you will have to give your fingerprints and have your iris captured on camera. Of course, my fingers were in the migration service when I was applying for a ten-year passport. But this is a matter of principle – then I agreed to it myself. But not now.

Now I have been presented with a fait accompli, and in order to protect my data, which I did not consciously transfer to anyone, I must also go and write a statement about it myself.

“At the end of summer there were huge queues at the MFC to refuse biometrics; the reason for the excitement was mass mailings in instant messengers. The messages said that it was possible to refuse only until September 1, 2023, and then data would be collected forcibly,” Adzhieva continues.

She recalls that in some centers they even offered to come later because the computers could not cope, which further increased the queues. Because here it is – it has begun!

Of course, everyone understands that this is actually just the beginning. A unified biometric system is only interesting if everyone really gets into it. Stubborn people too. And if the same banks are now offering all sorts of bonuses and gifts for voluntary registration of biometrics (for those who, for example, have never taken out a loan), then later, as usually happens with us, they will begin to act with a whip.

For example, they will reduce the list of services for those who do not have biometrics or have simplified ones. If you want social benefits or, as a veteran, a discount on housing and communal services, welcome to the “brave new world” with your irises; if you don’t want it, no one is in bondage. We already went through all this a couple of years ago when vaccinating against coronavirus: voluntarily, but forcibly.

So it’s completely clear how this will all turn out. But while there is a choice, I wanted to take advantage of it. Moreover, there was no rush at the MFC. Those who wanted it refused earlier.

The girl at the window was somewhat surprised by my belated visit, gave me a standard form to sign, and then said that the answer would come to the State Services. It seemed to me that she was a little unhappy. On the other hand, it’s Friday evening, I want to go home, but here some citizen persistently demands her voice and face back.