Germany began issuing fingerprint passports Thursday, making it the first European Union (EU) nation to issue such biometric travel permits.
The move is aimed at boosting national security and making key identity documents harder to forge, in response to growing terrorism concerns.
According to new law, fingerprints are required on all passports issued as of Nov. 1, 2007, in the country.
The electronic fingerprints and a biometric digital photograph will be stored on an invisible, electronically scannable data chipon the inside flap of the document.
The new technology aims to make the passport more secure. By using biometric data, border guards can see whether passport and carrier actually belong together.
However, the move has also aroused a debate about data privacy within the country.
Data-protection activists have raised a series of questions, like infringement on personal liberties and the preservation of private information.
Source: Xinhua
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