These are crazy time we’re living in. I read an article of how the EU wants visa requirements for Americans and Canadians just to visit Europe, even it’s just for a weekend. Japan wants to go even further, using today’s technology for identification purposes.
This year, Japan, the nation that gave us the robot greeter, ?will test fingerprint systems for identification and security purposes. If this is successfully, the only way tourists will be able to buy or sell is through a fingerprint. This is supposed to fight theft and keep tourist from using credit and debit cards. Japan hopes to have this system in place by the 2020 Olympics. Tourist will have to register their fingerprints, credit/debit cards, and other information as soon as they arrive at the airport. They would be able to make purchases only if they pass identity inspection. That’s when they place two fingers in the device that’s already installed throughout that nation. Japan even wants the fingerprint tests installed in hotels. As of now, you can check in with a passport. But it won’t just measure who is in the country. Your spending habits will be analysed and processed by the Japanese governments, probably by Japanese corporations, too. There is already an outcry against this system. Some are concerned about tourists feeling uneasy about using such a system.
I know I wouldn’t use it. I’m not even that crazy about that RFID chip in your credit card. I wouldn’t even go to the 2020 Olympics if I knew I couldn’t buy or sell without a fingerprint. All it takes is one or two hackers to break into the system and infect it for everybody involved, the tourist as well as the government and businesses. Do they really want to take that risk? No, this has Big Brother written all over it. And they’re going to analyse our spending habits? What are they going to do next? Tell tourist where they can or can’t buy?