The Body is Not a Password: Why Machines Must Never Decide Who We Are

Siddhartha Malempati

Journal of Development Policy and Practice, 2026, vol. 11, issue 1, 14-21

Abstract: In an era of rapid digitisation, our physical traits—faces, fingerprints, eyes—are increasingly treated as master keys to our identity. From unlocking smartphones with a glance to nationwide biometric ID programmes, the message is that our bodies can serve as passwords. This premise is dangerously flawed. Unlike a password, you cannot change your face or fingerprint once it is compromised. And when we allow machines to determine and verify who we are, we risk grave consequences for privacy, civil liberties, and even basic justice. The human body should never be a password—and machines must never have the final say in who we are.

Keywords: Biometric identification; facial recognition; surveillance technology; civil liberties; Digital Personal Data Protection Act; 2023; National Automated Facial Recognition System (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:jodepp:v:11:y:2026:i:1:p:14-21

DOI: 10.1177/24551333251381952

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