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A type I error is often referred to as a false negative or a false reject, it occurs when the systems says that a valid user is not who they say they are. The biometric system can give a type 1 error if an individual has a cut on their finger (fingerprint) or if an individual loses their voice due to a cold (voice recognition). A type II error, often called a false positive or false acceptance occurs when the system says that the individual is a valid user when they are in fact not. This can happen if there is an issue with the database, either through malicious intent or a system error.
While biometrics may seem like the ideal way to identify and authenticate a person, there are reasons why biometric readers are not more widespread and why they are often implemented with other methods of authentication. Biometric readers can cost a lot of money and they may not always work. Some fingerprint readers can have over a 5% error rate. And like other types of authentication, they require maintenance to make sure that individuals are placed and removed from groups depending on their status.
Because biometrics requires the use of an individual’s characteristic and because these characteristics cannot be changed, there is an ongoing debate about privacy and biometrics. On the one hand, you want to protect your information and grant only authenticated users in. And what better way to do that then through something that cannot be stolen or deduced. On the other hand as a user you do not want to give out data about yourself that can be used for anything other than identification. For instance, fingerprints and your iris may actually be able to inform others about certain health issues you may have.